save paradise | ploegy & sugarbird

[sugarbird]

❖ 𝐎𝐭𝐮𝐬 ❖
[male I 13 I owlboy]
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-----So, his assumption was right. He didn't feel much better hearing that one of them would have to keep watch every night for as long as they were stuck out in the wilds. He supposed that it would indeed be important to keep their guards up every moment of their time spent here. Neither of them would be too comfortable sleeping in any place outside anyway. He just hoped that Ren was at least used to doing such a thing already. Being a thief has to be very dangerous at any time. Surely Ren's had to do that many times before. Still, Otus would make sure he'd get his turn to stay up tomorrow night. It was fair, and he couldn't let Ren do everything for them. At the thief's reassurance, he sighed and turned his gaze down at the sand. No point in worrying all the time.

-----He tried to take a deep breath and force himself to relax. Though he was indeed exhausted, he was also still antsy and upset. His life was too short for him to have experienced any true tough times until now. And what a first tough time this was going to be. He let his cloak fall off his other shoulder, afterwards taking it in his hands and spreading it out before him. He leaned back against the dirt, cringing at how uncomfortable it was, and then laid his cloak overtop of himself to use as a make-shift blanket. Turning to the side, he pulled it up over his shoulders and curled in a little ball under it. This was a severe downgrade to his own bed at home. Oh, what wouldn't he give just to jump back in his bed right now? Thinking about home was not a great idea right now, since it would make it even harder to rest. He wasn't sure if he'd fall asleep tonight or not, but he'd try.

-----He looked over towards the outside, watching the beach in total silence. The shallow waves gently caressed the shore, brushing it with its filthy foam. Occasionally, waves a little bigger would crash upon it, but none could cause a splash big enough to reach the two. The moon reflected its impression on the water's surface, and left dancing specs of light on the ripples. Despite the old branches and debris littering the sand, it was still the most beautiful sight he saw so far in this sad place. Otus can't say he's ever seen a real beach in his life. He didn't pay much attention to history, but he knew there's been beaches in the far past, back in ancient times when people lived on the surface of the planet. And maybe there's been some remnants of beaches that still floated in the sky, he wasn't sure. He never saw them, anyway. To see a real one, complete with sand and an ocean, on actual ground, was so surreal. It was pretty.

-----Though the waves were decent background noise, it did little to help him feel better. Thinking about all that just happened a few hours ago made the familiar knot in his throat return. His eyes glazed over, briefly flickering to Ren for a moment. Goodnight.. I guess. He slumped against the dirt wall a bit more, and made a small effort to hide his face beneath his cloak. He felt a tear or two roll down his cheek. He immediately tried to prevent himself from full on crying by reminding himself that he was not alone here. "It's okay. It's okay, this is fine. He forced himself to find a cozy position, and laid still as a statue when he did. Out from the cover of his cloak, he stared out at the sea and watched the waves to try to relax. Maybe.. this is all just a bad dream. A tiny sliver of excitement returned to him, and he rubbed his face dry before settling down completely. Maybe I'll fall asleep, and wake up at home.

-----Otus hoped this was just a dream within a dream. A lovely, pleasant dream turned into a nightmare. But deep down, a part of him knew this was all too real. Lying to himself was not the healthiest coping mechanism, but it proved to be effective in getting him to sleep. Though the tears didn't stop yet, his heartbeat slowed and his eyelids grew heavy. Yeah. Yeah, that's a possibility. Still feeling the presence of his ally nearby, he grew a little less afraid by the minute. And before he knew it, his vision went black.

-----With self-reassurance that the thief would be okay staying up, he eventually succumbed to sleep.

[Ploegy]

⇀Ｒｅｎ Ａｍａｍｉｙａ!!
xxxmale • seventeen years old • persona 5 • tagged: otus
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It didn't seem that it took Otus too long to drift off to sleep. That much came as a relief to Ren. In a way he was envious. Even if he were the one allowed to sleep, he doubted his body would let him so easily. Admittedly, he was too on edge, though his neutral expression hardly hinted at such. It was much different than infiltrating a palace, that was for certain. Staying there wasn't a necessity by any means and if they did need to rest, there were always safe rooms around that allowed for such. Being stuck out in an area that could possibly be attacked wasn't something he was accustomed to. It was best that he never mentioned such a thing. He was sure that would only worry his companion more than necessary. Besides, Joker was more than capable of fending for himself if a situation were to arise. While it would be nice to get rest to fully recover from using Arsene, the thief was sure lounging about would help restore his stamina enough. It wasn't as if Arsene had the greatest toll on him like some of his other personas often did. That was the price he had to pay for gaining more power. Unfortunately, use of his other personas wasn't going to be happening here anyways. It was both a good and a bad thing in his eyes. More power was always nice, but if he didn't have the means to recover then perhaps it was for the better. It was something that in the end didn't matter. All he had was Arsene and that was what he would have to work around.

With those thoughts pushed to the back of his mind, Joker shifted his gaze back towards the ocean. The sound of the waves hitting the shore was relaxing and was enough to briefly put the teen at ease. As a result, he rolled his shoulders back and rested his head against the stone wall behind him. It wasn't the most comfortable position to be in, but it was good enough for him. If he got too uncomfortable he could always get up and move around a bit, though that defeated the purpose of letting himself rest. That thought caused a soft sigh to escape his lips. Maybe he was too restless after all and expecting danger around every corner. That couldn't be helped. It was how things always were while he was disguised as a phantom thief. Shadows lurked everywhere in palaces and always tried to stopped his team from progress towards their ruler. He figured that much would be no different, though it was hard to tell. It wasn't as if this place actually was the metaverse. That still bothered him. He had been under the assumption that his powers would only work while in the metaverse yet here he was. Something about this place must have triggered his transformation into his thief attire. It wasn't as if there was anyone to ask about it though. He simply had to accept what had been bestowed upon him and be grateful that he hadn't come to this place as his normal self. That did make him wonder if it was possible for him to revert to such. Was he only granted his abilities because he was already deemed a threat by this world? It was a possibility, but there was no telling for certain. If that were true then returning to his average self would be something he'd have to be concerned with. To lose his powers would be far too devastating for him and Otus. Grimacing at the thought, Ren gripped the the coat underneath him in frustration. There were too many things that were still unanswered. He couldn't let them get to him too much.

Sucking in a deep breath, he calmed himself once again. There was no need for him to get worked up over things he didn't know the answer to. For now, keeping a clear head was all he could do. It was a few moments before he completely put himself at ease again, but when he did, his grip on his coat loosened and he closed his eyes. It wouldn't hurt to let himself take a light rest as he kept guard.

Ren did just that. Hours seemed to pass, though every so often the thief's eyes cracked open to check his surroundings before letting them rest once again. It wasn't until the early hours of the morning that something finally caught his attention. It wasn't more than a brief grunt, but it was enough to snap Joker out of his light slumber. His gaze immediately moved towards the beach before them and he reached for his pistol. While he hoped it had been nothing but hi imagination, he knew he had to prepare for the worst.

With pistol in hand, he slowly climbed to his feet and stepped forward enough to peer around the cliff's rocky edge. Much to his dismay, the worst possibility was there; a pack of feline-like creatures with a strange aura around them. The only good thing was they didn't seem to have noticed their presence yet, though he knew it was only a matter of time before they picked up on their scent and found them. Making the first move would benefit them, but he needed to make sure he gathered his things and that Otus was awake before he made any kind of move.

He ducked back into the shelter and began to gather his things first. He was quick to secure both his knife and pistol at his waist before placing the mask upon his face and grabbing his coat from the ground. "Otus, you need to wake up," he said, keeping his voice rather soft. Hopefully it would be enough to wake the other. "We have to get moving otherwise we're going to be in trouble."

[sugarbird]

❖ 𝐎𝐭𝐮𝐬 ❖
[male I 13 I owlboy]
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-----For as sharp and alert as his senses were when awake, Otus was otherwise a notoriously deep sleeper. It was well known back home that few things woke him up. This night was different than most, though. For one thing, this was not his plush and cozy little bed that he was so used to. Sand and dirt did not feel good to sleep against. And of course, the usual nightmares returned. A lot has been going on in his subconscious that made sleep just a bit lighter. Still, he was as motionless as a rock for most of the night. And if it wasn't for these factors, Otus probably would not have woken up at all the next morning.

-----Ren's first few words didn't wake him up. His next sentence did, however. Just barely, at least. Otus was still half-asleep when he opened his eyes, leaning foreword and wincing at his newfound neck crick. Sleeping on his bad shoulder also didn't do him any favors. This discomfort, however, saved his life. He blinked himself fully awake a few seconds later, and noticed that he was still sitting on the same sand as yesterday. Oh no. A part of him knew that none of this was ever a dream, but it was still a giant disappointment to not see himself at home. He put on his gauntlets and cloak, and silently yawned. When he almost fully collected himself, he saw that Ren was fully awake and looking a little concerned. He knew Ren said something to him, but he did not at all pick up on what he said. The boy gave a confused look, but followed his gaze out towards whatever was concerning him so much.

-----Wha--! Lanky silhouettes prowled around the shore, some noses to the ground while others were raised. Their shoulder blades weaved up and down for every step they took, and their tail tips twitched as they concentrated. Were those.. cats? A weirdly unpleasant aura emanated from them. It was almost recognizable, similar to the feeling he felt when near the fox spirit back in that shrine. This one might not have felt as powerful and intimidating, but it was still unholy. It was definitely wrong, and worth being scared of. His eyes widened, his hackles raised. He shrunk back against the dirt wall for a moment, turning his head towards Ren to see what he would do about it.

-----He stood up slowly, mirroring Ren's movements as best he could. Otus hoped that he had a plan or something in mind, because he certainly did not. All the boy could do was helplessly watch those beasts wander the beach. It wouldn't be long at all before they found them. The only noises these things made were quiet huffing and the sounds of pacing against sand. At least, until he suddenly heard a low chuffing noise come from one of them. Otus sharply turned to the source, and saw one of the monsters lift its head and look around a few times. At least, until it settled its gaze on the two from a distance. The nocturnal eyes pierced into their souls, despite the fact that Ren and Otus were obscured by shadow in their little shelter. When that one cat locked onto them, the others surrounding it turned in the exact same direction. None of them moved just yet. Neither did Otus. Paralyzed by their stares, he froze in time like a statue. He couldn't bring himself to move and trigger aggression from any one of those things.

----- Even though it was terrifying, it was only just a few of them that he could see. He remembered just then how he and Ren dealt with the shrine spirit. That fox was probably more powerful than all of them combined, right? So, they still stood a chance if they attacked, surely. Right..? Just when Otus was getting ready to think that exact thing, one of the felines let out some kind of low rumble from its throat. And in response, a few dozen more walked out from around the corner and into sight one by one. They kept coming and coming in a seemingly endless stream of cats. There was still a good bit of distance between them and the duo, at least. The owl swallowed hard, keeping close to Ren. For whatever reason, the pack of them didn't attack yet. What are they doing!? Did they know their prey had spotted them already? What was going on? This oppressive silence hung in the atmosphere for what felt like an eternity.

----- Whether or not they did, it seemed that they didn't care. As fast as a blink, one of them suddenly roared and burst foreword. Now the rest of them were doing the same. Their piercing stares that locked onto them did a great deal to keep Otus stuck in place. Frozen in shock, his first reaction was to turn to Ren. As badly as he wanted to sprint for his life out of there, he wasn't sure what to do at all. This was far more than just five enemies he was dealing with this time. This was.. who knows how many. He wasn't keen on flying off and leaving Ren to get overwhelmed by himself, either. What is there to do?

[Ploegy]

⇀Ｒｅｎ Ａｍａｍｉｙａ!!
xxxmale • seventeen years old • persona 5 • tagged: otus
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As Otus woke up, Ren could tell his words hadn't immediately registered, but the sight of the nearby felines sure did. Peering around the corner once again, the thief could see that more had gathered, causing the grimace to appear upon his face. An easy escape wasn't in the options this time around, or at least not for himself. As long as he could allow Otus time to take to the skies he supposed things might be alright. He'd find a way to get himself out of harms way once he knew his ally was safe. Such a thought process wasn't unusual for the boy to have. If anything it was exactly what one might expect from him. He was prone to putting others safety above his own and always willing to risk himself if it meant that others could be free. His teammates often said it was reckless, but it always had worked. That was enough to assure him that the same would happen this time around.

Eyeing the felines, he assessed his best course of action. Taking them head on, as reckless as it seemed, was the only option he really had. It was clear they were aware of the duo's location, yet weren't making any moves yet. Perhaps they didn't feel the need to make the first move, knowing they already had their targets cornered. If that was the case, then they'd be expecting an attack to ensue. If that was true, it was troubling. Joker couldn't let that bother him. Even if they were anticipating an attack, he'd have to make sure his attack was stronger than expected. He wasn't sure that was possible. If anything, he wanted to avoid putting himself into a major combat situation in an escape plan. While he was aware that all fighting wasn't going to be avoidable, Ren needed an attack that was both enough to scare the pack and long enough to buy Otus time for an escape. With his arsenal, it was a bit challenging. It was possible that Arsene would have to be his play, but avoiding using his persona was more ideal. His energy may not be depilated anymore, but he didn't need to immediately tap into it either in order to use his companion. There was no balance at all.

His struggle wasn't one he let show though. While he was thinking quickly through optimal ways to go about this current ordeal, his expression stayed neutral and his eyes stayed glued to the monsters that awaited them. The thief's silence was definitely something of concern, though it didn't last for much longer. It was only a moment longer before Ren's stiff posture was broken and he turned to look at Otus. "I'll be the first to admit this isn't an ideal situation, nor is my solution ideal either," he began. Such words weren't the most uplifting, but the thief's conviction was still there. Even if his plan wasn't the bes, it was something he was going to make work no matter what. In his eyes, it was tthe only solution. "I'm going to create a distraction so you can escape. It's risky for me to go head in to all of them alone, but I need to assure that you're safely in the air first."

Pausing, Ren took a few seconds to think over his next words, reassuring himself that it was the best course of action he could take. Finding resolve in his own thoughts, he boy continued. "I'm going to swing myself above them with my grappling hook to assure I can get behind them, but while airborne I'll fire into their group with my pistol. Hopefully I take out one with that shot, but if not the shot serves two other purposes; one is the primary distraction and two is the signal for you to take to the air. Do you understand?" It was a simple, yet effective plan if it panned out the way he envisioned it. That was the catch. Things had to go as Ren hoped. It was a risk to take, but it was one he was willing to risk.

Before he could get any form of confirmation, he heard a growl rumble from one of he feline's throats. Looking back around the corner, he noticed the front one was beginning to move. It appeared they had become impatient and were planning to go on the offensive after all. That was an even worse situation for them. His plan needed to take action immediately if they wanted any chance of escaping. As much as he didn't want to be rushed, it seemed he was going to be. Briefly looking back towards Otus, a serious look crossed Ren's face. "Remember, the moment you hear a gunshot get to the sky. Don't worry about me. I'm going to lure them off to the forest. You just get to safety."

With those words, the thief turned from his companion and took a step out into the open. It was showtime now. Jumping up onto a rock just outside their shelter, Joker spared little time to set his plan into action as he launched his grappling hook upward to latch onto the side of the cliff. He already knew it wouldn't be enough to swing him forward, but that was where the rock he was on came into play. It was high enough to give him he height he needed to get over the felines and his grapple was at an angle that would allow him to easily swing to assure he cleared the pack. A perfect setup. All he needed now was his pistol, which he reached for with his free hand. Holding it tightly, Ren jumped from his place and thus starting his own assault. Finding himself airborne, he detached the grappling hook and twisted himself to get a clear shot at the monsters beneath him. That was when a single shot was fired , hitting its target with ease before the thief continued on his path through the air and landed behind the group. No sound escaped the shot feline as it dropped to the ground dead, but its collapse was more than enough to draw the attention of its fellow pack members.

Seconds later, all eyes were on Joker. Smirking at their reaction, Joker moved his gun to point it towards the creatures. "Come and get me," he taunted, though he didn't make a move to run just yet. He needed to assure Otus got into the sky before taking off.

[sugarbird]

❖ 𝐎𝐭𝐮𝐬 ❖
[male I 13 I owlboy]
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-----Ren seemed to conjure up an idea pretty quick. That was good, since the younger boy was helpless and looking to him for any solution at all. It was admittedly extremely hard to focus when a horde of beasts was charging straight at them but Otus barely managed to catch onto what he said. His attention was taken away from the approaching pack when Ren stated that he would make an escape for Otus alone. He gave a frightened and disapproving look. No, he can't die here. Surely not. If Ren died by the claws of these things, then not only would he have to save this island completely by himself, but Ren wouldn't ever get to go back to his realm. Of course the thief wasn't going to just let himself get torn to shreds right here, but it was not easy to think straight in a state of panic. He even confirmed that to Otus when he blurted out the rest of his plan. He was right; this solution would not at all be ideal. But it would have to do.

-----When asked if he understood, Otus paused in time for a second to process the information. Uh- er- hear gunshot, fly, okay.. okay I got it. After the thief's second reminder to do as instructed, he nodded in response. The moment Ren moved into action though, he quickly grew flustered. Wait- wait, wait wait! What do I do after that!? But by the time he asked that question in his head as if Ren could magically hear it, he was gone. He flinched when he briefly saw the group still heading towards them. The urge to flee for his life was strong, but he was too afraid of disobeying the thief to do anything. Signal.. wait for the signal. Even though the wait felt like at least thirty seconds, Ren moved far quicker than that. Before he knew it, the group had skidded to a rough halt a mere yard or so away from Otus. A split second afterward, he heard a loud gunshot come from up above.

-----The loud bang nearly paralyzed him a second time with shock, but he recognized it as the signal. Uh- signal! That's the signal! The moment the cats all looked at the Joker, Otus burst clumsily off the ground and kicked up sand along the way. When a few felines turned back to see where their smaller appetizer went, he was gone. And so, they quickly turned back to their other target. He rushed upwards as fast as he was able, just enough to where Ren could see him. Hopefully at that point, it would be the other's cue to run. He was terrified of seeing the other teen down there on his own with those things locked on him, but he was prepared to swoop down for him should he need it. He held onto the hope that Ren knew what he was doing as a form of comfort.

-----Otus couldn't help but follow him a little ways. He tried to keep up with them all, and he was pushing his flight speed as much as he was able for a moment. The thought crossed his mind that storing that energy for later was probably more wise, but he barely paid it any mind. He wanted to be at least somewhat near as a last resort should Joker need a hand. He wasn't sure what he could do to help, but.. he'd try something if he was needed. The forest was not far, but not near either. How long could he run? How could he possibly run while dodging trees? I hope whatever he's doing works..! Otus came up with his own plan just then. Gazing ahead at the sea of dying trees, he figured he could get to safety in one of them. He could stay up in the trees while shadowing Ren, just to watch him. That way, he could be obeying his order to get to safety, while still being close. Not quite the most solid plan, but he didn't even consider staying behind and leaving his ally to run by himself.

[Ploegy]

⇀Ｒｅｎ Ａｍａｍｉｙａ!!
xxxmale • seventeen years old • persona 5 • tagged: otus
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It was a relief when Ren spotted Otus in the sky overhead. At least that part of his plan seemed to work well enough, but now came the troubling part. He still had to see himself to safety. It was a task easier said than done. That didn't discourage the young phantom thief though. If anything it thrilled him. He had little time to bask in his own enjoyment. The felines were already on the assault, prepared to tear him to shreds for the stunt he had pulled. Joker had anticipated as much, and luckily for him, he still had more tricks up his sleeves. Plucking the mask from his face, Arsene was summoned in a split second and stood behind the boy and the pack approaching him. "Give them hell, Arsene!"

The boy's words dripped with confidence and sent his companion immediately in to action. With a simple wave of his arm, the persona created a wall of dark energy, blocking the felines off in order to allow Ren to get away. The thief didn't even wait for the wall to be entirely formed before he took off running towards the nearby forest. He already knew when he deed was done when his mask returned to his face. Hopefully this distraction would give him the needed time to get far enough ahead, especially since he figured the creatures would catch up to him much faster than his usual pursuers would. He couldn't afford to think about that. All he could do was believe that he could outrun them and if not, that he'd be able to fend them off by using the cover in the forest to his advantage. Admittedly, he wasn't sure how well the latter would go. Never before had he fought in a forest, but how different could it be? Using the trees as cover was similar to using various objects in the palace's as cover. The only thing that might be different that his opponents might know how to use the trees to their advantage as well. Yet another thing he had to hope wasn't going to happen.

Continuing on his sprint for the forest, Joker couldn't stop his thoughts from racing. As much as he tried to fight them off, various possible situations played through his head, making him question what exactly he needed to do. Glancing back over his shoulder, he took note of the felines closing in on him. While Arsene's distraction bought him some time, it clearly hadn't been enough. Using the persona again seemed optimal, but he knew he had to conserve his energy as much as he could. It was only the beginning of the day and who knew what else might be waiting for them. Turning his focus back to the tree line ahead, Ren was quick to decide on his next move. Shooing his grappling out, he allowed it to quickly pull him upward into the treetops. Steadying himself on a branch, he took a brief moment to scan the area, taking notes of his surroundings. Overhead, he could see Otus a little higher up in the trees. He could only hope he would continue to be safe, especially now that he too was in the trees.

Turning his attention away from his companion, Joker's gaze returned to the felines approaching below. Unfortunately, they had reached his position much faster than anticipated. Still, he had the high ground as an advantage and he'd need to use it. Keeping his balance, Ren inched out on the branch before angling his gun downward and firing several consecutive shots, each of them finding a target among the felines. Even with his accuracy, there were too many of them and they had little desire to give up the chase so easily. Instead, their pursuit led them to climbing. Eyes widening at the sight, the thief's head quickly shot up and his eyes searched for his companion once more. "Otus, be careful!" he called out. "They're taking to the trees!"

[sugarbird]

❖ 𝐎𝐭𝐮𝐬 ❖
[male I 13 I owlboy]
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-----They all moved astoundingly fast. Too fast for Otus in the air to completely keep up with, and almost too fast for the other to outrun. It was nerve-wracking beyond all belief to watch him flee down there. The Joker however, didn't seem to be nearly as scared over this. In fact, he seemed to be very confident with himself. He was calm and had enough breath to summon Arsene. Seeing the huge figure appear behind him in a split second caused Otus' heart to skip a beat. And yet again, he got to witness another display of this creature's power. It swept its arm at the pack, summoning a wall made of something or other that hammered directly into them. This bought Ren some time, and it was finally what got the owl to pay attention to where he was flying. Before they knew it, they were in the forest, and Otus had sharply swerved upwards to avoid a tree that was in his way.

-----Using a good chunk of his energy, he flew foreword as fast as he physically could just to get ahead of the pack and to keep pace with Joker. He was darting straight for the tallest tree he could find nearby. By the time he made it there, he looked below to see his ally there too. It seemed he had the same idea. Hopefully they were quick and quiet enough to evade the mob for the time being. He caught sight of the dark masses on the forest floor. They were well aware of where the two were, as they were looking up at them with snarling grimaces. They weren't just surrounding the tree he was perched on, they were surrounding Ren's too. Panic rose when the thief attacked the felines, wiping a few out among dozens. They were greatly outnumbered here. But, so long as they were elevated, they were okay, right?

-----Otus didn't think far enough ahead to remember that cats climb trees pretty well. There was so much growling coming from below that he failed to hear a group of felines climbing up the trunk towards him. He only began to notice them after tremors could be felt travelling up the tree. Ren confirmed his fears after that. Otus looked down to see not just one, not just two, but five cats rushing up to him. They were desperate, shoving each other repeatedly just to grab the owl first. Looking closer, he could see that something was incredibly off about them. Their eyes were bloodshot, their mouths were foaming. Their faces were.. asymmetrical. They were not normal animals. He didn't dwell on it for more than a few seconds, but their appearances up close were more than enough to paralyze him in place again. He only managed to make a move after they were a mere few feet away from his position. And that was not soon enough.

-----While Otus had to fight his way through gnarled branches as he tried to fly back up, the felines were much more adept at scaling their way through canopies. Just when he hopped up and spread his wings, a blunt toothy force snapped itself around his ankle like a vice. One of the felines had jumped out of the canopy and caught him. Ah--! Thankfully his shoe had taken the brunt of it, and thus he wasn't hurt at all. But he certainly felt it. Otus had no issues carrying the weight of something larger than him through the air. He did that all the time. But the pure terror he felt was enough to completely disorient him. He was not prepared for one of them to latch onto him mid-air. And because of this, he lost his bearings and fell down to the ground while flapping his wings frantically.

-----Luckily for him, he had drifted downward a little ways away from the rest, giving him some breathing room while dealing with this lone attacker. The others would be very quick to follow though. They both collapsed on the forest floor, thrashing wildly in a desperate struggle to hurt each other. Confused and terrified, Otus blindly struck at the cat over and over as it tried to pin him, jabbing it multiple times in the jaw. It was clearly very hurt by his defenses, based on its raspy and strained hisses. But it did not give in. It finally pinned him down to the ground where it could finally aim for his neck. Otus stopped its attack by clamping its jaw shut with his gauntlets. The cat tried to claw at his hands to get him to let go, but his gauntlets took the scratches for him.

-----Miraculously, Otus wasn't hurt beyond a few scuffs. The two seemed to be at a standstill, and he took this opportunity to get the bigger attacker off him. While it was focused on trying to get rid of the hands holding its mouth shut, he struggled to move his lower body before harshly kicking the thing in its belly. It was strong enough to shove the cat a few feet away, and Otus didn't delay at all this time. He scrambled to his feet and quickly got off the ground. But right before he could get into the air again, there were already ten dark shapes littering the canopies above him. He couldn't fly out of this one. And the cats knew that. Without Joker in sight, Otus' composure was completely lost, as he panicked and just sprinted in the opposite direction of the pack. He heard a small stampede of thuds chasing after him. There was no way he could outrun these things, and it was clear they wanted to keep him on the ground so he couldn't fly away again. But he had to try. He stood no chance if he was grounded like this.

-----He shot upwards and crashed through the tree limbs, spreading his wings a second time to catch himself in the air. A feline was already below him when he was flying, and jumped up as high as it could to catch him in the air. This time, he flew higher and dodged the attack. The foe then fell down a long ways, twisting itself in such a way to land on its feet as it collided with the bottom. He was out of death's grip for now. But what about Ren? Otus desperately eyed the forest floor as he flew along in hopes to see him. But a flicker of something orange showed up in the corner of his eye. He looked up briefly to see one of the biggest godsends one could possibly find in a situation like this. It was a series of lights, or torches, or something in the distance. It was not natural, that's for sure. Someone must have been the maker of those lights. And that was an entire cluster of lights. It was too vague and far away to make out any details, but whatever it was, he didn't care in that moment. Where was Ren? Did he see it too? Please be alright-- where are you!?

[Ploegy]

⇀Ｒｅｎ Ａｍａｍｉｙａ!!
xxxmale • seventeen years old • persona 5 • tagged: otus
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As much as he wanted to help Otus in the moment, Ren had his own issues to deal with. For once, he had to put himself first if he wanted to assure that the both of them made it out of the situation alive. His focus had to stay on the felines closing in on him. Shooting them might slow them down, but it was only temporary. More would pursue him. He needed to move. Unfortunately, he was out of his comfort zone in a place like this. While he was used to scaling walls and sneaking around various kinds of buildings, a forest was something different. He had to be mindful, knowing that one wrong step could send him plummeting down towards the forest floor. Picking branches that could not only hold his weight, but sustain him jumping to and from them was important as well. These things would have to be determined in he blink of an eye. Such decision making wasn't new to him, but it did bring forth its own issues.

Putting his pistol at his hip, he turned to make his first move, but Otus briefly caught his attention. Watching the young boy take off, he let a soft sigh escape his lips. "Just hang in there. I'll figure something out," he murmured to himself. He could only hope that the other could fend for himself long enough for him to think up some idea to get them to safety. For now, he needed to get moving.

Showing no hesitation, Ren began his journey through the treetops. His movements were swift and he was quite light on his feet in hopes of avoiding a branch snapping beneath them. It all seemed to be going well, but good things had to come to an end at some point. One wrong jump and SNAP. Losing his feet below him, Joker let out an audible gasp followed by a pained grunt as he hi the branches below. As much as he wanted to stop his fall, it was a struggle to. There was nothing for him to grab on to and pain was quick to spread through his body each time his back collided with yet another branch beneath him. It was inevitable that he'd reach the ground and not on his own terms. Hitting one last branch, the thief made one last attempt to grab hold of it, luckily managing to do just that. However, his grip wouldn't last for long. Feeling the strain of his body, Ren let go, but instead of landing on his back, he landed on his feet. Even so, he wasn't in good shape. Taking a moment to assess his injuries, he could see several tears in his clothes. He could only assume he had cut in those area. He'd have to worry about them later though. He had to keep pushing forward. Behind him he could hear the hissing drawing near. If they caught him now, he'd stand little chance.

Panic began to rise in the teen's chest and that was enough to get his feet moving again. Each step seemed to bring more pain than the last, but he didn't stop. He kept pushing forward until he was met with the feline that had been chasing his companion. Stopping himself, Joker quickly reached for a weapon, grabbing the handle of his knife just as the cat leapt at him. Pushing himself to the side, he lashed out the blade, dragging it across the beast's underbelly. The feline yowled out in pain and dropped to the ground, buying the teen enough time to keep moving on. With knife still in hand, he was able to take a few steps away, but the feline wasn't about to let him leave. Jumping out at him, it took his legs out from under him, causing Ren to tumble to the ground and almost lose his weapon in the process. He wanted to move quickly to recover, yet his body betrayed him and it was only an instant before the beast stood over him. Staring danger right in the face, the thief laid completely still as the cat lowered its face closer to his. As it did that, a large paw pushed down on his shoulder, pinning him in place. Was this it? No, it couldn't be. He still had to fight. While fear should have overcome him in the moment, a surge of confidence filled the boy and a smirk formed upon his lips. In an instant, the mask upon his face became to burn away, allowing Arsene to manifest. "Begone," was all Joker uttered before the creature was forced off him with immense strength. It was as if the feline had never been there.

Sitting up, Ren let a sigh of relief escape his lips before averting his gaze towards the persona that lingered at his side. "Thanks Arsene," he breathed out. The persona only nodded at his words, deciding not to comment on the boy's reckless behavior before returning to his mask. Struggling to his feet, Joker turned back in the direction which he had been moving and prepared himself to get moving once again, but a faint orange glow caused him to stay put moment longer. Torches. Did that mean they were close to some kind of civilization? It was possible. There was no telling until they looked. Pushing himself towards the light, he caught sight of Otus overhead as well. That was a relief, though the danger wasn't over yet. All they could do now was follow the torches and see where it led them and hope that they had lost the felines.

To make sure his companion understood his intention, Ren gave a small wave of his arm before gesturing towards the path and continuing towards it himself. Passing a few torches, he rounded a couple of trees when a small village came into sight. It was hidden amongst the forest, but there was no mistaking what it was. Wooden buildings lined the ground and some were even hidden among the trees. It wasn't a beautiful place by any means, but it meant shelter and help.

[sugarbird]

❖ 𝐎𝐭𝐮𝐬 ❖
[male I 13 I owlboy]
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-----He caught sight of the other after a few moments, and he felt he could breathe again. Ren didn't seem to be doing so well himself, though. He wasn't in the trees like he thought he still was. He was actually back on the forest floor. From what he could see and assume, he fell out of them. This was bad. Those things were right on his tail and they were not slowed by the thicket of the woods one bit. They must've been through here before, if they were able to move so well through both the foliage below and the canopies above. Otus caught onto Ren's gesture from afar, and he knew right away that he spotted the same series of lights. Thank goodness, they both knew where to go. He turned back from the thief and up towards their next objective. As much as he wanted to help, he could not have possibly done anything to help now. The best thing he could do now was just stay out of Joker's way.

-----Below him were at least ten of those rabid cats chasing after in the treetops. They were not slowed one bit by the branches. The owl believed he was completely safe at this height in the air, since it was still quite a bit of space between him and the treetops. This, however, would be proven wrong. At this point, he was focusing mainly on the series of lights ahead that revealed to be a settlement of sorts. He was positive Ren knew it was there as well, so he wouldn't have to worry about their targets being different. This unfortunately lead him to be vulnerable for attack. The hungry mob pushed and shoved through both tree branches and each other, and one of them managed to get up front. They climbed up to the very tip top of one tree, and thrust all of its weight off of a solid enough branch. It sprung up through the air and actually got higher air than Otus himself. Even though it couldn't latch onto him like the last one did, it still succeeded in knocking him out of the air.

-----It threw its entire body weight on top of the target, sending both it and Otus careening towards the ground. Once they hit the tree layer, it only barely broke their fall. The feline let go and yowled in pain as they crashed into a mess of limbs. It was knocked away from him, falling through more branches until it fell to the forest floor much more quickly than Otus did. The fall through was rough, but brief. Limb after limb smacked him on the way down. He remained suspended in the air, hanging on a thick branch he fell onto for a second before falling back down. The ground hit him pretty hard when he finally met it, but the realization that his shoulders weren't covered hit him even harder.

-----Realizing he was without his cloak, Otus quickly panicked and rushed to find it. Thank goodness, it was right in front of him. It must've gotten caught on a branch and was pulled off of him. He scrambled to his feet and desperately reached for it. Before he could put it back on, loud snarls from behind sent him running for his life instead. He was too flooded with adrenaline to really feel his newfound hurt, and poured all of his energy and focus into running. His hand only barely clung to his cloak as he sprinted away, and it was much harder to keep it in his grip tight on it when the terrain he had to run over was so rough and uneven. He held it up to his chest to prevent his feet from tripping over it, eyes darting all over to prevent himself from running into oncoming trees. Distance between him and the mob was steadily closing, and they had a clear advantage in this environment. This was looking bad.

-----It was then when he spotted another light source ahead. One much smaller. It was a torch! And right past that, he finally spotted the dark figure of Ren rushing away with him. The situation was starting to get dire now. Fatigue was settling in hard, and he knew he couldn't sprint through all this foliage and rough ground for too much longer. He kept his sights on the torches, and noticed that they were growing a little more consistent. The ground between the torches seemed to grow smoother, until it eventually turned into a full on path. People are here, for sure. They must've been so close..! He wasn't sure if he would've been able to make it, but the thought of a possible village entrance greeting them any second was what kept driving him to persist.

[Ploegy]

⇀Ｒｅｎ Ａｍａｍｉｙａ!!
xxxmale • seventeen years old • persona 5 • tagged: otus
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Ren was prepared to take off into the small village to seek help, but before he could a feline leapt from the nearby underbrush, almost taking him by surprise. Barely managing to sidestep its attack, the thief let out a soft sigh before raising his knife. His grip on it was enough to indicate that he was on edge. It was much unlike the usual poise he held himself with. His fingers curled tightly around its hilt, hinting he was actually worried he might drop his weapon otherwise. Even with such a death grip, the teen acted as if he was calm. His body language proved that much. Despite the pain that had begun settling in, his eyes showed confidence and he stood tall as he faced the beast. The creature seemed unfazed by its initial miss and already was prepared to make its next attack. However, as quickly as the cat threw itself at him, it fell to the ground lifeless before Ren could even make a move.

Blinking in surprise, the thief took note of the arrow that had pierced the creature's chest. Quirking a brow, he turned his head to look over his shoulder at the village once more, this time seeing a being standing there with bow in hand. They were much shorter than the thief and had odd, goat like ears and horns upon their head. "Why'd you lead those creatures here?" the newcomer asked, hostility ever so present in their voice. "And why are you stupid enough not to get inside the protective barrier? Are you just one of those mindless beings as well? If so then maybe I should kill you too." Watching the strange goat person aim their bow at him, Ren narrowed his eyes and lowered his free hand towards his hip to ready his pistol. If this other did attack him, he was sure he'd be able to dodge the first shot and fire back with one of his own. Before he would come to that though, he'd attempt to talk his way out of it.

"I didn't lead them here on purpose, but if you have a protective barrier, then why be worried if I led them here. Surely it'd protect you," the teen fired back. His words were snarky, but they held some truth to them. "And how was I, some traveler, supposed to know about said barrier? I hardly know a thing about this world as is. My partner and I are trying to run for our lives." At the mention of Otus, Joker's eyes briefly left the stranger and searched for the owl boy. It took only a few seconds for his gaze to settle upon the other and slowly raise his knife to point in his direction. "Him and I are trying to save this world so we can go home. Now you can help us or you can shoot that arrow at me and see what happens as a result." His final words were vile and as he spoke them, his eyes returned to the other, a seriousness coming over them. It was a strong threat to make, but the thief wasn't scared of what might happen. He'd been in positions like this before.

His words seemed to be enough to cause the other to stand down, though they didn't look pleased to do so. "Get inside the barrier before more of those things come," they demanded. Giving a simple nod of his head, Ren did as he was told and moved towards the other, hoping that would be good enough. The barrier itself wasn't something that was visible. "You're going to have to talk to the elder. They'll judge if you and your friend really are okay to be here or not. Their house is the one on the north side of the village, past the big pond. You best get moving before other villagers come out. They might not be so kind."

Without another word, the goat being turned away from Ren and took off back towards the nearest house. Shaking his head slightly, the thief was glad it was over. Returning his knife to his hip, he relaxed his shoulders before casting his gaze in Otus' direction again. "We need to get moving." As he spoke those words, he waited a moment for the other before moving forward into the village.

The wooden homes around him certainly had seen better days, but they were still sturdy enough to be standing. The path between them was no different. It was only made of dirt and tracks of past travelers on it were easy to see; footprints, wheel tracks and the like were engraved into its surface. Overhead, a few homes sat hidden in the trees, rope ladders dangling down from their small wooden porches to allow for residents to get down to the ground. While it was not beautiful by any means, it was quaint and cozy. As the houses seemed to lessen, it opened up into a small town square. Vendor stalls sat outside the larger buildings and were lined with all sorts of goods. However those that stood at them seemed to glare in their direction. Joker paid little attention to the hostile looks and continued on.

It was only a short while longer before they arrived at the pond the other had mentioned. Coming to a stop, Ren looked towards the home that sat opposite of where he stood. It was larger and in better condition compared to the ones before, but it wasn't all that much fancier. "Let's hope this elder can help us."