::Open RP on the Grounds::

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

Outside was intimidating. The sky was too big and formless, the wind seemed to come from all directions at once, and the ground was lumpy and uneven under his feet.

But L thought he could be brave. L wanted him to be brave. And A has his wand, after all, and a growing arsenal of hexes to go with it (even if he hasn't actually tested most of them yet).

And so he's exploring the outside of the castle now. The sun is out this time, and it's already warmer than it was when L took him wand-shopping.

And there is new green grass, smelling so fresh and clean, and there are tiny flowers dotting the grass. The daisies A knows, and the foxglove, but botany was not something he studied much and he can't identify any of the others.

But oh, all those tiny shivering alive things in all the terrifying rush of air!

It's a sort of peace he can barely recognize.

Comments

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

"I didn't come outside to look for them. I was just trying to not be afraid."

[papayagami.livejournal.com]

"Afraid? Of what?"

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

"Of outside. There's so much of it, and all the wind... but I don't want to be scared of it."

[papayagami.livejournal.com]

Soichiro looked around. True, there was a lot of it, and it was a bit windy, but he couldn't figure out why anyone would be scared of the outdoors.

"I see."

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

"But there are plants, and I think I like them very much."

[red-eyed-l.livejournal.com]

"Plants?" A voice said from too close to their ears. "Too simple for you, my dear Attempt."

Soichiro started at the unfamiliar voice. L? No, couldn't be, the name he sees is Beyond Birthday.

"Can I help you?"

"Just here to see someone, right, Attempt?" Beyond asked with a grin.

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

A was on his feet instantly, backing away, wand out.

"Don't want to see you, Backup. You can be somewhere else now."

[red-eyed-l.livejournal.com]

"But I want to be here. I've found something that may interest you, Attempt." And he stepped foward, but was held back by Soichiro.

"I think it's best if you go away, right now."

"This is none of your concern, Soichiro Yagami."

"How...you have the eyes?"

Beyond ignored Soichiro in favor of stepping around him to come face to face with A.

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

"Nothing about you interests me, B, you don't interest me."

Mindful of Kusuriyuri's words, he tried to keep the fear out of his voice.

[red-eyed-l.livejournal.com]

"But you interest me. Now, first, Obscuro!" That was directed at Soichiro, who gasped at everything suddenly going dark. Quickly whirling on A, for no doubt he would try to hex him, Beyond tried to hex A first. "Petrificus Totalus!"

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

A had whirled to try to cast a countcharm on the hex B had hurled at Soichiro, but before he could utter a syllable, he was hit by B's second hex. If he could speak, he would have wailed with frustration as he tumbled, frozen, to the ground.

L would be so disappointed.

[papayagami.livejournal.com]

Not. Good.

He can't see, and from the sounds of things, this Beyond was nothing but trouble.

"See, Attempt, I can learn hexes too. And turnabout is fair play," Beyond crept closer to A, hovering nearby.

Soichiro inwardly swore as he fumbled around for his wand...there!

"Finite Incantatem!"

"What?"

Soichiro blinked a few seconds, to adjust to the sunlight.

"Oh, no you don't, Petrifu..."

"Finite Incantatem!" Pointed at A this time.

"...cus Totalus!"

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

"Stupefy!" A shrieked at B, suddenly able to move, and then turned his attention and wand to the frozen Soichiro. "Finite Incantem!"

[papayagami.livejournal.com]

Beyond just almost made it, but that spell hit. As he struggled to stay conscious, Soichiro sat up with an "Incarcerous!"

Ropes bound Beyond in place, so even if he stayed conscious, which was unlikely, he was bound up.

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

Panting, A steadied himself, kneeling.

"I was supposed to deflect it. I learned the spell to deflect it." His voice shook with self-blame.

[papayagami.livejournal.com]

"He was quicker than both of us. But we got him in the end." He stood up. "We need to tell someone about this."

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

"People know," A said quietly. "People know about him."

[papayagami.livejournal.com]

"And he's still unsupervised? That doesn't sound safe. Has he attacked you before?"

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

"I..." A's face contorted, and he looked away. "He's B," he said, as if that explained everything.

[papayagami.livejournal.com]

"I don't...." He looked to A, then to B, then back to A. He gently but firmly took A's hand to lead him away. "I need a better explanation, but I think the sooner you're away from him, the better.

And to make himself feel more secure, he bound more ropes on a stirring Beyond.

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

A lets himself be led away, glancing over his shoulder only briefly. If only he'd been able to stuff some foxglove into Backup's filthy mouth...

[papayagami.livejournal.com]

Once safely inside, Soichiro turned to A. "Now. Who is he, why did he attack you, and who besides you and me knows about him?"

He's in 'serious cop' mode now.

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

"He's B. Backup. Beyond. It's always been, always been A and B, and B has always been B." He presses his lips together, trying not to frown, and his voice drops to a sing-song whisper. "Always A and B, always always."

[papayagami.livejournal.com]

Horror and realization began to show on his face.

"He's...always done that to you? Attempted, why didn't you say anything sooner?"

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

"Was supposed to learn coping skills," A mumbled. "Supposed to handle myself under pressure."