SoulCoil

((sliding in a starter, jump in if you want :^]))

Damian took a moment and checked the time on his watch. It was already about one o'clock in the afternoon.

He was back at it again, looking down at the city through his binoculars in search of a new target. Most competitors avoided going out during the day, but you never know, there was a still a chance that someone might show up. After a waiting a little while, Damian lowered his binoculars and just scanned the streets with his eyes for now. It had already been a week since he downed his last pair. 4 down, 10 to go. Easier said than done. But he couldn’t let up now--not ever. Sighing, he decided to just watch the people walk and go about their lives for a little while, and let his mind wander. However, a voice had soon snapped him out of it.

“Whatcha doin’ boss?”

Damian let out an irritated growl, and glanced back to look his Revenant, Severo, dead in the eye. “What’re you doing here? I told you to stay and wait for me back at home.”

“I know ya did ‘n all, but ya see, a guy gets bored once in awhile--” The bat began.

“You’re here now, so let’s just get to it. You know what to do.” Damian turned his attention back to the streets below. For a moment, he was silent. Though eventually, he turned away, going towards the roof access. He opened the door and headed down the stairs. Severo muttered something unintelligible before raising his arms and flapping his wings, taking off into the skies.

The bat Revenant’s job was clear; scout for anyone else in the competition, and report back to Damian. Severo had other plans in mind though. He soon landed on a rooftop of a random building. His ears were perked in anticipation as he tuned in closely, awaiting anything of interest to turn the corner. As he waited, he thought about what he would do once he would see any other competitors around. Severo could care less about the contest, he only wanted to meet someone interesting; it was one of the only reasons he would go out around the city on his own.

Out and about at an unusual time, tucked into the shade of an HVAC system, and hiding her presence for good measure, Amanita scanned the skyline. While the man with binoculars had been vaguely interesting at first, he appeared to be just another hitman.

Sure, maybe he wasn't actually a hitman. Maybe he was a steely-eyed private investigator staking out his client's target. But she had never been one for optimism.

Though her mind wandered, a flurry of motion brought her attention back to his vantage. Where another Revenant had just launched into flight.

For a moment, she debated following the man. Just to see if anything more interesting happened with him. But if he were in the competition, like she now suspected, that would be foolish. Her general presence would be felt if she drew closer, whether they could pinpoint her or not. And then stalking through the halls of an unknown building. While potentially being stalked herself... No. Not worth it.

Her silence followed her off the roof as she followed in the direction of the bat.

Careful to pass under as many objects as possible, to avoid being spotted from above, she lost sight of it when it landed. Tail flicking in thought, she paused a moment. To scale the building or not? She was certainly good at climbing, but that seemed a bit reckless...

Apropriately cat-like when she made her decision, Amanita skulked back a short distance to wait and see if he took flight again.

Ears twitching, Severo paused. Did he hear something just now? Maybe he was going crazy. Either way, he hoped it wasn't the latter, as the bat was just now beginning to get bored of sitting around in this place. If nothing was going to happen, then there was no real point of being here. Even so, Severo opted to wait just a couple more moments in case something or someone did decide to round the corner.

....Nope. Still nothing.

Severo let out an exasperated sigh. He hopped up onto the edge of the rooftops, peering over to get a better look of what was going on down below him. Everything seemed normal, and there was nothing out of the ordinary. The sun's light was really getting on his nerves, though. He raised an arm, his wing shielding his eyes from some of the light.

"Stupid boss, makin' me go out when he knows I don't like the damn sun. Friggin' cafone...." The bat grumbled whilst he continued his search.

From the place she'd tucked herself under - the awning of an upscale restaurant - Amanita could barely see the rooftop. It was luck, mostly, that allowed her to spy the other Revenant's movement. As he climbed along the rooftop's edge, he seemed focused away from her.

She slunk closer, pressing her side against the wall of his building and lost sight of him. But as she drew closer to the corner of the wall, she knew she also could not be seen.

She took a deep breath, stepped around the corner, and let out one of her cacophonous screams. It filled the area, reverberating through the streets and alleys in an almost solid wall of sound. Once it stunned him (if it stunned), she would close in on the bat and decide what to do from there.

There still didn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary, so Severo only sighed. Maybe he would have to go elsewhere. But as he raised his arms to launch himself into the skies, an excruciatingly loud scream had interrupted him. His ears immediately burned with some sort of searing pain, as if they caught fire, and following that, an agonizing ache. He grit his teeth and slammed his claws into his ears in an attempt to block it out, but to no avail. Instead he fell backwards onto the roof again, landing right on his back and flailing his legs in the air.

"AGH! DAMNIT DAMNIT DAMNIT!"

With confirmation of the bat's duress, Amanita quickly scaled the building and closed in on her target. Noting his sharp claws and flailing feet, she swatted to roll him over and pounced to try and pin him down. Teeth bared in a silent snarl, she tried to give the following impression: Who are you? Who was that man on the roof you started from?

It was a long-shot for the bat to catch - extreme emotions and pain made any sync difficult. Couple that with the recipient being another Revenant, and the odds got even longer. Though... with the way the last week had gone, maybe the usual odds had nothing to do with it.

Either way, her weight pressed her claws against the bat Revenant's hide, but she took care not to pierce it. Yet.

His ears were still pounding from whatever the hell that screaming was. But he managed to move just a bit when he was swatted, and he froze. Another Revenant? Here? He was about to speak when he heard something faint--words? Severo could barely make them out, but it was loud enough to understand, and for him to give an answer.

"Well, piacere to you too." The bat muttered under his breath, eyeing the sharp claws on him. "....I'm Severo. That guy I was with, was my boss. Or in your terms, partner." He answered in a rather plain tone, despite being threatened.

"You don't mind gettin' off me, do ya?"

Italian, huh? ....I've not heard that language in... some time.

Her words seemed to seep into the other Revenant's mind from a distance. The actual sounds of the area were also muted, though not gone entirely.

For a short while, she watched Severo, claws continuing to press into him. Hell, for a second it seemed like she might start kneading his back and that would certainly draw blood. Or, well, whatever Revenants did when harmed in that way.

Then her eyes widened as she felt a familiar feeling across this sync.

Her next impressions came over loud and clear. Equal parts caution and curiosity, with a dash of familiarity and pleasant surprise. You don't want to be a part of this game. Do you, Severo?

The word game was emphasized without raised volume, but instead with the emotions of bitter rage and sorrow.

She hopped back, giving the bat his freedom. A gamble, for sure, but potentially worth it.

Severo didn't respond right away, and instead, he only waited, feeling the claws of the other steadily digging into him. That made him wince ever so slightly, but he kept still. The stranger's next words relieved him a bit. Someone gets it.

"Ya? What gave it away?" He remarked in a sarcastic tone.

As he was released, he stayed on the ground for a moment before rolling over, moving his body up so he sat on his rear end. Severo's ears twitched, as the pounding in them had been reduced to a bearable level.

"I'm guessin' you feel the same way since ya let me go n' all."

Her whiskers twitched, but she only regarded Severo in silence once more. She needed a moment to process it all. What were the odds of meeting so many who felt so keenly about ending the tournament? Sure, not all of them were probably after it on such a grand scale... but the fact remained. With so many Revenant looking for an out, this might be the iteration in which the tournament ended.

Amanita narrowed her eyes and lay her ears back, presenting a stern displeasure. Much like an old-timey schoolhouse teacher, or a governess.Obviously. Your snide humor is unnecessary... Save it for another.

She sniffed delicately in the bat's direction and also sat, tail coiling around her paws.

You... carry a familiar scent. A flurry of sounds passed through their link: pleasant snatches of song, plucked strings, the occasional sharp remark. All layered over flashes of Enri at various stages of action and emotion. This man - my partner - can be trusted... To a point.

The tip of her tail tapped, soft and rhythmic, against the ground.
Perhaps... we, too, can come to an agreement.

Severo put on this sort of expression that was similar to a frown, tilting his head to the side. While his impulse told him to make another snarky remark, he decided to hold off, since something about this Revenant told him that she was no nonsense. Something about her was familiar to him, and reminded him of someone he met before.... Though that was something for another time.

Completely silent, he saw the images and heard the sounds. He honestly didn't expect for her to know that he had met her partner before. But he didn't show his surprise, showing more interest in that agreement that she had mentioned.

"....Oh really?" The bat gave a slight smirk. He could never resist a good deal. "Whaddya proposin'?"

For the duration of this tournament, we do our best not to kill eachother.

Amanita flashed a toothy smile of her own: much less pleasant. Reminiscent of the Cheshire Cat from that silly Wonderland cartoon.

This can include your human, too... If you so desire. Her smile turned into a slight baring of fangs as she offered a silent growl. The barbs lacing her fur stood out while she bristled. But the moment passed and she regained her composure.

Mostly. Her tail lashed against the rooftop and she dug into it with her claws. She'd much rather tear out the man's spine than let him live. A hitman, jeopardizing her plans.

Unforgivable.

"Huh...." Severo contemplated for a long while, and whilst he did, he looked the other over with clear skepticism. He nodded very slowly. "I can play along. Wasn't plannin' on icin' nobody anyways." Though after she mentioned his boss, he made this sort of frown like expression, clearly picking up on her discontent for him. Finally, someone who agreed with him.

"And don't worry 'bout 'em hon. I got plans for boss already." Was all that he said.

Hmn. Her minor anger displays faded and she regarded Severo more closely. Always surprisingly possible. Her gaze bored into - no, through him a moment. Then she closed her eyes for a long time.

It was her way of gaining further insight through their sync. Some information could be gleaned by pressing the link. At a cost.
Always a cost.

She seemed to fade, briefly, and if Severo were to look around he would find new details surfaced. Some secret, some not. The general store at the corner diagonal from them: run by a young, heavy-set woman. Her name, unknown, but her kind smile and dutiful caretaking skills seemed more present than the bricks of the building. Her grandfather, whom she looked after now, had looked after her with similar kindness. He dealt with competitors far less kindly.

Similar things would now greet him, while he scouted. Maybe they would be of use to him. Maybe not.

Very well. She opened her eyes and stood, turning to go. There are others... committed to alliance. You will know them now, if you see them. They're young, and earnest. Almost endearing....

Amanita paused briefly, perched on the edge of the rooftop. Try to play nice. Ciao.

Ears perked, he looked about, scanning his new surroundings in silence. Every single detail he could pick up, he noted for future reference; like the location, the woman's features, and the older man―the grandfather―especially him. As soon as the.... visions ceased, he blinked a few times, quiet as he processed it.

At the mention of others with some sort of alliance, Severo paused, tilting his head ever so slightly. But he didn't comment, and instead, nodded in response. And as he watched her go to the edge of the rooftop, he scowled at her next words.

"Ciao yourself, lady." He replied, clearly a bit irritated by that.