[ With the touch of Makoto's small hand settled into his, their meandering across barren streets turns into a full-blown chase. They stay linked a moment or two longer than necessary, with J's hand curled over his in a protective reversal of Makoto's touch from a short time ago, on a beach under the warmth of this world's shining sun. Yet the eventual separation is inevitable and so sudden he's uncertain of who let go first. The strange injection of intimacy in the middle of this mission is gone so quickly it might as well have been a figment of the imagination.
In finding himself upon a rooftop, J absorbs all that Makoto says with a nagging sense that all that's transpired in the days leading up to now are a trail of breadcrumbs, spelling out in once indecipherable clues what they're now about to find.
They're too high up and their target well-shrouded in an obstructive hood in ways that keep their identity a mystery. But the Aion's silhouette gives enough away, when it's height alone eliminates any of their shorter compatriots from being suspects. If this isn't one of the younger recruits or any of the women it's most likely a man, whose foundations have wavered to such a degree they've been stripped of even the essence of the Kenoma. The Regent's summons immediately rushes to the forefront of J's mind as the words slide off Makoto's tongue with a thirst for the hunt. 'Someone seems to have lost their faith.' For a moment he gives the barest pause, then J makes a choice he'd already been saddled with, back on that fateful day when the Regent had drawn every Aion into their audience. Whoever this is, he can't allow them to evade his grasp. ]
A runaway, huh? It's quite rude of them to slip away like a thief in the night without so much as a goodbye. [ The canal running along the length of the street provides a natural barricade to prevent escape from that side. Without any trace of the Kenoma left in the traitor's shard, they should be reverted to the same powerless state J had experienced upon his arrival here. In those terrifying moments he'd spent sapped of every strength and ability, before Makoto had force-fed his newly reborn body the contents of a certain vial.
In the best of circumstances, a strong swimmer would still be at a disadvantage against two opponents if they took a dive and isolated themselves in the water. It's even more unlikely they'll take such drastic measures, now. Which means the two of them only need to block off either ends of the street the hooded figure now walks. Barring any side streets that open into that one, that plan of attack should cage their target in and block off the major routes of escape. ]
I think I'll pay Houdini here a visit, and make sure they don't perform a second vanishing act. [ Amusement spreads like wildfire across J's features as one hand raises to give a resounding snap of fingers. The small flame he creates is quick to illuminates every corner of J's expressive face, painting his lopsided smirk in a nearly macabre light. ]
Be a good boy and cover their retreat for me, Mako. [ Instructions the demon doesn't offer, but foists into Makoto's lap. It's just moments before the flame sputters out so that he can softly pat a youthful cheek with the touch of his warm palm. As if this solidifies their plan of action, the full span of his wings opens wide and J abruptly launches himself forward to dive off the roof. Not allowing Makoto the time to rebuke him for any potential flaws in this plan, or the chance to refuse a direct approach without a more complete survey of their surroundings.
And that's how he greets this wayward lamb, broken away from their flock. At first, he's little more than an ominous shadow that spreads out across the well-tended to streets of Venera, gliding over the head of a figure whose eyes aren't searching the skies in anticipation of a strike from above. A second snap of his fingers, this time at a closer range to his target, sends forth a much smaller sphere of light than he's accustomed to. It strikes the pavement several feet behind Barnaby and settles a path of fire there with every intention of blocking off his retreat. ]
[2/2]
In finding himself upon a rooftop, J absorbs all that Makoto says with a nagging sense that all that's transpired in the days leading up to now are a trail of breadcrumbs, spelling out in once indecipherable clues what they're now about to find.
They're too high up and their target well-shrouded in an obstructive hood in ways that keep their identity a mystery. But the Aion's silhouette gives enough away, when it's height alone eliminates any of their shorter compatriots from being suspects. If this isn't one of the younger recruits or any of the women it's most likely a man, whose foundations have wavered to such a degree they've been stripped of even the essence of the Kenoma. The Regent's summons immediately rushes to the forefront of J's mind as the words slide off Makoto's tongue with a thirst for the hunt. 'Someone seems to have lost their faith.' For a moment he gives the barest pause, then J makes a choice he'd already been saddled with, back on that fateful day when the Regent had drawn every Aion into their audience. Whoever this is, he can't allow them to evade his grasp. ]
A runaway, huh? It's quite rude of them to slip away like a thief in the night without so much as a goodbye. [ The canal running along the length of the street provides a natural barricade to prevent escape from that side. Without any trace of the Kenoma left in the traitor's shard, they should be reverted to the same powerless state J had experienced upon his arrival here. In those terrifying moments he'd spent sapped of every strength and ability, before Makoto had force-fed his newly reborn body the contents of a certain vial.
In the best of circumstances, a strong swimmer would still be at a disadvantage against two opponents if they took a dive and isolated themselves in the water. It's even more unlikely they'll take such drastic measures, now. Which means the two of them only need to block off either ends of the street the hooded figure now walks. Barring any side streets that open into that one, that plan of attack should cage their target in and block off the major routes of escape. ]
I think I'll pay Houdini here a visit, and make sure they don't perform a second vanishing act. [ Amusement spreads like wildfire across J's features as one hand raises to give a resounding snap of fingers. The small flame he creates is quick to illuminates every corner of J's expressive face, painting his lopsided smirk in a nearly macabre light. ]
Be a good boy and cover their retreat for me, Mako. [ Instructions the demon doesn't offer, but foists into Makoto's lap. It's just moments before the flame sputters out so that he can softly pat a youthful cheek with the touch of his warm palm. As if this solidifies their plan of action, the full span of his wings opens wide and J abruptly launches himself forward to dive off the roof. Not allowing Makoto the time to rebuke him for any potential flaws in this plan, or the chance to refuse a direct approach without a more complete survey of their surroundings.
And that's how he greets this wayward lamb, broken away from their flock. At first, he's little more than an ominous shadow that spreads out across the well-tended to streets of Venera, gliding over the head of a figure whose eyes aren't searching the skies in anticipation of a strike from above. A second snap of his fingers, this time at a closer range to his target, sends forth a much smaller sphere of light than he's accustomed to. It strikes the pavement several feet behind Barnaby and settles a path of fire there with every intention of blocking off his retreat. ]