SUCCESSOR OF THE EYE

JACK RUTHERFORD // Code Vein

Basically a vampire

Severe case of RBF

All work, no play

“I’ll keep all my emotions right here, and then one day, I’ll die.”

...except he won’t, unless you kill his heart. Otherwise he’ll come back with some memories missing

Conducted the local vibe check in his universe. If you fail, he kills you

Gave him some unsavory rumors and the nickname “The Hunter” back home

He’s a good guy, though, I promise

He just refuses to clear up any misconceptions you have about him

He’s sad and hurting deep down, but you’ll never hear it from him

The nights are getting colder. Although not quite as clear as in the heart of winter you can see the reminiscent of breath lingering in the air. Ogata’s out, wandering about as usual, looking for somewhere to warm his hands in. 

The worst part of Fibonacci is where Ogata fits well, at least on surface. He prefers the less formal environments and doesn’t dislike a little excitement for his day, so this is where he often spends time. At least when he’s in the mood for it all.

Still, he stands out a little here as well. Maybe it’s soldier get up, maybe it’s the rifle underneath his cloak, maybe it’s his attitude and the general air around him. Ogata hasn’t really thought about it himself, outcast is outcast no matter how you dress them. 

This one also stands out. It’s a new face, the sort of that you wouldn’t forget. Ogata gets curious so he tags along but in the end gets spotted after a while.

“ What sort of customary would that be? Haha. “

 “ Maybe I’m just headed for the same direction? “

Admittedly, Jack wasn’t one for meeting new people on his own. Even though he had sensed this guy following along behind him, he hadn’t really made the effort to speak to him in the first place, so the response he received wasn’t anything odd. Perhaps it was a little presumptuous to think this guy was intentionally tailing him and staying hidden.

But Jack’s world wasn’t one where he was able to grant people the benefit of the doubt that often, and this line of thinking followed him here, as well.

“Right.”

Pulling her gaze off of the man, she looked back up to the heavens. “It’s funny, now that I can look back on it all, there’s only one thing those instances had in common.” Kelechi paused here, gathering her thoughts so could eloquently make her point. “No matter the circumstances, somebody was always willing to help me. Even if was as little as giving me advice. When it really mattered, I was never alone.”

There were times she certainly felt alone. Times at night where she missed her sister’s laughter, or her mentor’s gentle voice. Though, despite being surrounded by theoretical strangers, she was always willing to stand alongside them.

“I am painfully aware of how silly this is gonna sound, but I hope that when this city goes to hell, and it will, that you’d be okay with relying on me, if need be.”

The woman’s words struck something with Jack. It was almost as though she managed to exactly pin down what one of his biggest weaknesses was. He’d preferred to help others, but actually reaching out or relying on others was something he struggled with heavily. He stayed quiet for a moment.

“Hm.” He considered his next words carefully. “I’m no stranger to helping others, even if it has been a while. I don’t intend to be swept up into chaos without a fight, after all.”

@watcherofthecrypts​

The axe bestowed upon her was pitiful.  While it might be useful as far as blunt force went, she preferred the sharpened edge of steel.  She understood that this place wasn’t like her home, or the entity’s realm.  She couldn’t get away with indiscriminate murder, but she didn’t like the feeling of vulnerability she was experiencing without her typical weapons.

There were others here, she noticed, that did have steel weapons.  Swords, and even guns – although they were so unlike the guns she had seen the soldiers carrying before.  If any of these people chose to attack her for any reason, she would be at their mercy.  It was an unpleasant feeling; was this perhaps how the survivors felt in the entity’s realm?  Unprotected and exposed?

The only way she could imagine would abate this feeling was figuring out how to make the wooden axe a better weapon.  Yes, surely this would ease her anxieties.  She had spent many years sharpening her steel tools; she doubted it was the same process to sharpen wood.  While she was normally steadfast in her decision making, a part of her was worried that simply carving the axe a sharper blade point might damage it and she wouldn’t be able to get another.

Anna was perched on a rock – a sharp knife in one hand, her new axe in another – and found herself simply staring at the objects, too frightened to start the job.

Having such an abundance of downtime made Jack much more restless than usual. Staying at home didn’t suit him at all, so out he went, choosing to spend his time exploring the island and mentally mapping and making notes of places of interest. It helped give him a routine that filled his time and kept his thoughts from racing.

However, he would’ve felt even more at ease if he had his trusty sword with him. Any time he had to himself in his own world was spent carefully tending to the blade, keeping it immaculate and finely sharpened. He missed it.

He could make use of the wooden sword provided to him, of course, but it wasn’t the same. He’d tried to care for it in the same way he did the Executioner, but no matter how hard he tried to make it so, it wasn’t quite right.

As he walked through the area he decided to scope out today, he noticed a woman sitting on a rock, holding a wooden axe and a knife. The way she stared intently at the weapons yet remained still gave Jack an idea of what she wanted to do.

He looks down, somehow expecting that question. But at least someone is willing to learn. 

 “Hervivores are afraid of carnivores because we…have a innate desire to eat meat. Its our nature to eat, but we live in a polite society… so eating meat is something discourage if not forbidden.” its mostly vegetables with protein in them, soy products for example were a great replacement though the sheer amount needed to eat was above average especially for bears like Riz. 

He shakes his head. 

 “I don’t want to start at all, but my fangs are really too big for people to ignore.” he says, somewhat sad about the lost job chances due to his biology. 

 “You don’t eat much? that sounds lucky.” 

Jack listened attentively, making a note of what the bear told him. “I see.” It really was similar to the line between revenants and humans in his world. “I sympathize with your struggle. My kind is often looked at negatively due to our appetites as well.”

“But I admire your desire to fight against your nature. I know it can be a daunting task.” Jack tended to ignore his bloodthirst most of the time, handling it before it got too much, but...

Send a word and I will write a drabble about my muse inspired by it!

Routine was all Jack had. Travel from crypt to crypt, deal with the Successor there, find a new Successor, lead them to their eternal staying (he loathed to call it rest) place, rinse and repeat. It seemed he was always busy. If he wasn’t, he simply didn’t know what to do with himself, nor did he know what would happen should he stray from his duties for too long.

Nothing good, to be sure.

Radiale, on the other hand, provided a whole new sort of routine. Travel from ward to ward, mentally map out places of interest, make a note of the people he met, rinse and repeat. While it lacked the bloodshed of his previous routine, it was, in a sense, much more taxing.

Still, he had to keep himself busy, if not more out of habit at this point. There was no time to rest. Keep going.

And going.

Send a word and I will write a drabble about my muse inspired by it! 

Little pleasures. That was all that could be afforded to Jack following the Great Collapse in his world. A moment stolen away to have a drink. A night of gazing at the stars with his partner. The brief peace in a Successor’s eyes as their suffering comes to an end at the blade of Jack’s sword, knowing their burden has vanished.

The years of service must’ve dulled his emotions, eroded away like the cliffs in a canyon, leaving nothing in its wake. When was even the last time Jack felt something like joy? Was it during his human life? Such an echo of existence seemed so far away now...

Something within him longed for that sort of spark again. A genuine laugh, a warm feeling in his chest, just... relaxed. At ease. No pain. No struggling against the inner voice within telling him to just give in.

The day he no longer carried his heavy burden would be the one that would reignite that spark called joy within Jack’s undead heart.

It was a welcome relief that this fellow was amiable and willing to converse. The fact that he earnestly reciprocated put a larger smile onto her face. His question, on the other hand, nearly caused her to bark out a bitter laugh. Sure, this island seemed fair and peaceful now, but it was only a matter of time before the “Stars” see fit to mess with them in some way.

“Honestly… Times like this are common, but eventually something will happen and put us into harm’s way.” Kelechi leaned forward, as though she were sharing a secret before talking again. “Last time it happened, I was marooned on a desert island!”

“But why do you ask? You seem like you can handle yourself, even in a place like this.”

“Ah.” He wasn’t entirely sure how to respond to such information, although it was good to know that this woman knew enough about this world to know that events like that weren’t uncommon. “Sounds like a very interesting turn of events, indeed. I’m no stranger to adversity, but I do like knowing what I’m getting myself into.”

Not that Jack chose to be plucked from his sphere of existence to be dropped into a completely unfamiliar one, but there wasn’t too much he could about it besides survive, he supposed.

 “Not really. I wanted another job but….people don’t trust carnivores, especially one as big as me.” don’t show sharp teeth to anyone, thats the whole plan and culture he had grown up with. After all there isn’t anything he wanted to do as a job, aside from maybe cooking. but with so many restaurants using meat it was difficult. 

 “You should get a job if your bad with money, or need a lot like I do.”

“Luckily, I don’t need much. Sustenance would be where most expenses lie, although I don’t need that either.” Although the fact that he pointed out carnivores specifically caused a few questions to come to mind. 

Knowledge was one of the most useful tools to have, especially when you have no other advantages in a situation you’re not accustomed to. This line of thinking was born of Jack leading his own squad in his past life as a soldier and led Jack to seeking out any sort of library or bookstore, hoping to arm himself while his trusty sword had been taken and replaced with a wooden one.

Although...

It was strange, she fully expected the lights of the surrounding city to render the sky a figurative black void, but the sky above Spirale always held the stars in all their splendor. Perhaps it was a function of the city’s magic?

After a few moments, she realized that someone had settled in nearby. A somewhat tall man with a stern presence, but there was no missing the starstruck look in his eyes.

“It’s amazing, right? Hard to believe we could be a part of something so grand.”

Jack hadn’t expected to be engaged in conversation at all. Most of the people he had known in his time tended to be mistrustful--whether in general or of him specifically, he didn’t know, nor did he care--but he couldn’t say it was a completely unwelcome turn of events, given the circumstances.

“I agree. While I don’t understand much of what’s going on with this island, the stars feel like a tie to my old home.” He gave a small scoff. “Even if I couldn’t see them often due to the red mist.” He finally looked down from the stars to look at his newfound conversation partner.

 “No need.” he easily lifts the props with both arms, his tall height and muscle mass a boom in getting jobs that require a lot of physical labor since he can finish faster than most normal -humans-. 

 “See. I have it covered. But…um thank you. Are you working here too?” it was a simple moving job but still. 

So this bear did indeed talk. Jack had suspected that it was a possibility, but it was a totally different experience actually hearing it happen. “No, I’m just passing through. I’m new to this city.” New to this entire world, really. “I imagine it would be better to get my bearings before seeking a job in my case.”

Well, this was new. Back home, there were mutated hounds and even mutated sea urchins, but Jack had never seen an actual bear before. Only heard of them. Still, this one seemed... normal? This bear lacked the distinct ‘attack everything in sight’ mentality that most of the creatures in his home universe had. 

But it was rude to stare in most societies. Unfortunately, ‘sorry’ was never something Jack was used to saying.