I just want to start a flame in your heart [OPEN]

[madlikegravity]

[ Characters ] The Joker, Oysters, and YOU
[ Location ] Twinklebat
[ Date/Time ] April 28th, Afternoon
[ Warning ] None.
[ Content ] Burning oysters are sent running through Twinklebat.

Comments

[letheal]

Takaya was lost. Clueless about the exact location of the house he was trying to visit, he'd resorted to wandering up and down the streets looking for buildings that matched vague descriptions like 'seemed kind of new' or 'might have two bedrooms.' He was just about prepared to give up-- it hadn't been that long since he'd heard from his Second anyway --when the shouting started.

Picking up speed, he dashed back towards the outskirts of town. As he came closer to the source of the commotion, indistinct noises became definite cries. Fire? Water? What the fuck was happening back there? He broke into a full-out run.

Something snapped the air just as he turned the final corner, met him from the opposite angle and hurtled over his shoulder. Gunshot! his mind supplied, seconds too late. The bullet had flown past him, just a few inches away. Ignoring everything else in the street, his eyes locked on the girl with a weapon in her hand.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

[letheal]

"Well don't shoot!" he shouted back. But the rest of the scene was registering now: buildings already ablaze, tongues of flame spreading down the street and oysters streaking from place to place like mobile coals. He bit back another curse.

[oblitus_clavis]

Xion had been out looking for some food to bring home to the house when she started to hear yells of alarm and the sound of people running. She could hardly believe what was happening. And out of nowhere.

This was terrible. She dodged around houses and alleyways trying to take out as many burning oysters with her keyblade, but it was clearly impossible to stop all of them. She was dearly wishing she were proficient at water magic instead of fire. How in the world was she going to stop this? She hoped that there were others here taking initiative too.

Up for Round Two?

[madlikegravity]

The Joker wandered through the chaotic streets, admiring his latest handiwork. Faceless were rushing left and right. Buildings everywhere were ablaze. He reared his head back and roared with mad laughter, clutching his sides as the flames crackled and danced around him.

When his laughter finally subsided, he noticed a small black shape not too far away. The girl in black who he had fought in the forests. A grim scoff escaped his throat. He should have figured she'd try to play the bold heroine and save the town. Can't have that, now can we? He reached into his pocket, changing his Shifter from a card to a knife, briefly toying with it before hiding it behind his back.

He took several steps towards her, tilting his head and calling out.

"Like what you see, kiddo?"

shit, it's the clown again!

[oblitus_clavis]

She jumped over a crate in the alley and took out two more of the oysters that were careening carelessly into some trash cans about to cause an even bigger fire.

She had been fairly sure it wasn't going to get worse than this until she heard that voice. Maybe this really was a bad dream. She turned and sure enough it was the clown she had fought in the forest. From the looks of it he was making good on his promise to make something bad happen.

"You....it was you that did this!" A statement, not a question. "What did this town do to you?!"

[madlikegravity]

The Joker sneered, expecting some kind of an indignant, horrified response from her to begin with. He took another two steps towards her, opening his arms widely.

"Hmm? This town didn't do anything. Don't you get it? They didn't do anything. Ain't we supposed to be in a war? Where's the, uh, the violence? And the bloodshed? People runnin' through the streets, screaming for their lives. All I'm trying to do is, uh, spark a little bit of inspiration, here."

He dusted off his jacket, giving himself a satisfied little smirk.

"No need to thank me or anything. I'm just doin' my part, y'see. Makin' life more exciting."

[dead_ladykiller]

Dracula had no intention of helping people with the fire regardless of how much trouble they were obviously having. He was there for the oysters, which he had failed to otherwise find and so desperately needed for his coffin, not for the town. When he arrived at Twinklebat he was surprised to find out that the problem was not the plague but the spreading fire.

And so he stood in the shadow casted by one of the house still intact, moving aside whenever an oyster or a person carrying a bucket of water ran by, waiting for the whole mess to calm down so he could collect the leftovers.

may I?

[ryugamine]

"Fire! Fire!"

What started out as a peaceful visit to Twinklebat turned out to be a disaster. He didn't know what to do. He never saw a burning town before. And he definitely never saw burning oysters start fires before. But he just couldn't stand there. He rushed towards a store, asked for a bucket, anything to hold water really... and was panicking so much that he got... a basinful of water. Good enough.

And he went on, trying to help somehow. In some way. Almost bumping into--

"Mister, what are you standing there for? There's a fire!"

sorry, length fail orz

[dead_ladykiller]

He raised and eyebrow, staring at the boy. He stepped aside as if indicating him to go on, with as much disinterest as he the situation allowed.

"Yes, I can see that" he pointed at an oyster running by. Since that one in particular was almost extinguished, he just kicked it when ti got to close and shrugged. "... frankly, I'm here for them, not the town."

No problem. o/

[ryugamine]

"Eh?" But the people.... and the buildings...

"You're here for the oysters?"

[nowheresman]

Now this was a tourist attraction.

Adachi had been able to see the beginnings of the fires light up from a distance. It had cast the skyline of Twinklebat into an eerily warm orange glow, but the smoke started collecting only as he set foot on the outer edges of the town. By then, a few buildings had started to light ablaze. The houses of Wonderland were simple, after all, still made of wood and nails, and even wood cut from talking trees was no less flammable than the common sort.

There were already a few Faceless running about in panic, and Adachi sidestepped to narrowly avoid some featureless woman with her hands thrown up in a fit, quietly fleeing because she had no voice to scream. He raised a brow and then stepped back, attention still caught on the scene, firelight reflecting in his eyes. "Better get out of here," he mumbled to himself. It wasn't his business. It wasn't his misfortune to handle. "Before they start blaming me for it."

[madlikegravity]

Well, wasn't this interesting? The Joker was just running into everyone now. Just goes to show that disasters bring all sorts of people together. He smirked before stepping forward, clapping Adachi on the back.

"Welcome to the party, kid," he greeted the greenhorn.

[nowheresman]

Adachi jumped, but just a little. Maybe Joker didn't see it, being that the fireworks were a little distracting (or so he hoped). Somehow the Joker fit into this scene seamlessly, like it was perfectly natural that he'd be here. It was unsettling, churning at the base of his stomach, just like the distant hum of his persona in his head, warning him. Be careful of this one - rare in that he hardly received warnings at all.

Amidst the crackling of the fire, he smiled - awkward and forced. "Party? This is...I don't know, pal. Usually I go to a different sort of...party. More drinks? More hydrated?" Briefly, he looked back to the burning skyline for a second and then, as if it had only just dawned on him, he turned wide eyes to the other man. "Y-you didn't do this, right?"

[madlikegravity]

He glanced around briefly, looking from building to building, before looking back at Adachi.

"Yeah. Yeah, I did." Unashamed. Immodest. Resolute.

At that moment, a burning oyster rushed past the two of them, screaming at the top of its lungs. Joker gave Adachi a lopsided grin, gesturing towards the poor thing.

"I, uh, brought snacks if you want any."