[Thread] I wanna feel the change consume me, feel the outside turning in.

[decisional]

Who: Ryou and Verde.
Where: Elysium; Verde's hideout beneath the mall.
When: Tuesday evening, after Cain's rampage.
Summary: Ryou is being consumed by his Persona. He needs pills and he's going to take them from Verde or die trying.
Rating: R for violence.
Other: Personas are worse than Shadows sometimes.

Comments

[decisional]

As the doors opened to grant them entrance, Ryou jerked and dragged his failing body forward until he was running ahead of his Persona. The last thing he wanted was for that creature to kill the man he most needed to talk to, but the last thing he wanted was usually the first thing his Persona did.

He came to a halt just before the table, slamming his hands down onto its surface to hold his trembling body upright. "You-- You disappeared without a word," he gasped, beyond any hope of maintaining a dignified tone during speech. He glanced over his shoulder to check his Persona's position and saw that it remained some distance back.

"We need to end this. Quickly." It wasn't Ryou who barged in without concern, after all, but his other self. This was not his preferred method. He thrust his hand forward, palm up. "The pills. G-Give them to me."

[decisional]

Hope rose in Ryou's chest when it seemed as though Verde was reaching for a pill bottle. He was so close. As soon as the pills were in his hand, the pain would end, that creature would fall silent, and everything would be right again. So when Verde's hands came up empty, a roar of frustration escaped Ryou's throat. "You don't understand!" he choked. "I need-- I need--!"

There was a flash of light and a crash as Cain turned and fired a shot that took out part of the ceiling. At the same time, Ryou slipped and fell to his knees. He only barely managed to keep from slamming his chin on the desktop, and now he clung desperately to the edge the way he clung to consciousness. He was losing himself rapidly.

Meanwhile, Cain did not share his host's weakness, but his movements did become more erratic. Stray beams of light were fired in every direction without reason. One of these barely missed Ryou, but tore through the desk to hit the chair in which Verde sat.