[It happened, after all... Talk about a worst case scenario! It's not that Atsushi wasn't expecting it, considering all the information that's been out there, but it's still a blow, somehow. Every time he thinks he's got his life in order, some other disaster happens. He should be happy about that: he's always felt the need to help people, to save them and so justify his own existence. Could it be that he's gotten over his hangups more than he thought, to want peace more than justification? Or is the problem that there's been no change to the unpredictability of when and how disaster will inevitably strike again, just as it did when he was abused at the orphanage?
There's something unsettling about how his life still hasn't settled down, regardless - but this is not the time to think about that. Atsushi will help keep people in the city safe, and try to maintain order as his position in the Royal Guard demands. To anyone around, he'll explain what's happening, and that the Royal Guard is working hard to keep everyone safe.
It still leaves him uneasy, letting other people do the actual fighting.]
[Phase 2]
[With the switch in strategy, Atsushi practically begs to leave evacuation efforts to others, so he can be used as bait himself. He's tough, after all, and not being more proactive (read: self-sacrificing) about helping people has been grating his nerves to the point of becoming unbearable. With understandably few people eager to volunteer instead of him, he's let go - and finally, he feels like he stands a chance of being useful again.
His black "uniform" is made for easy transformation, sleeves and pant legs left short enough that they don't normally flatter his scrawny body - but it comes in useful now, when Atsushi transforms into something not fully human, ready to face the dragon with whoever else is giving it a shot. Now's as good a time as any to find out whether that legend about tigers and dragons being perpetual enemies is true...!
Luring the dragon away is fairly easy, Atsushi's speed and agility (and near-suicidal desperation) getting him through safely. It's staying in one place and fighting the dragon that's a lot harder - not that Atsushi won't keep trying. The longer he's there, the wilder it gets. Lowered inhibitions mean little when Atsushi is self-sacrificing to start with, and it's a dangerous combination with a selfishness that he'll all but immune to on a normal day. He will be the one to slay this dragon, no matter what it takes; he will keep going, in spite of injuries, empathic pain, and the frustrating fact that, while he can jump very high, that still limits him to attacks from straight below the dragon at best - and that is suicidal to the point that even a not-fully-sane Atsushi thinks is unwise.
Fortunately he's not the only one around, and if he sees someone on a gryphon, or someone with special powers that he thinks may be of use, he's quick to yell at them.]
I can take care of it! Just get me up there!
[Wildcard Me!]
Bring it! Atsushi also has the Natha's limited revival spell, if that's a thing you want to play with. That said, he's... not in the best mindset to remember applying it, maybe.
Atsushi Nakajima | Bungou Stray Dogs
[It happened, after all... Talk about a worst case scenario! It's not that Atsushi wasn't expecting it, considering all the information that's been out there, but it's still a blow, somehow. Every time he thinks he's got his life in order, some other disaster happens. He should be happy about that: he's always felt the need to help people, to save them and so justify his own existence. Could it be that he's gotten over his hangups more than he thought, to want peace more than justification? Or is the problem that there's been no change to the unpredictability of when and how disaster will inevitably strike again, just as it did when he was abused at the orphanage?
There's something unsettling about how his life still hasn't settled down, regardless - but this is not the time to think about that. Atsushi will help keep people in the city safe, and try to maintain order as his position in the Royal Guard demands. To anyone around, he'll explain what's happening, and that the Royal Guard is working hard to keep everyone safe.
It still leaves him uneasy, letting other people do the actual fighting.]
[Phase 2]
[With the switch in strategy, Atsushi practically begs to leave evacuation efforts to others, so he can be used as bait himself. He's tough, after all, and not being more proactive (read: self-sacrificing) about helping people has been grating his nerves to the point of becoming unbearable. With understandably few people eager to volunteer instead of him, he's let go - and finally, he feels like he stands a chance of being useful again.
His black "uniform" is made for easy transformation, sleeves and pant legs left short enough that they don't normally flatter his scrawny body - but it comes in useful now, when Atsushi transforms into something not fully human, ready to face the dragon with whoever else is giving it a shot. Now's as good a time as any to find out whether that legend about tigers and dragons being perpetual enemies is true...!
Luring the dragon away is fairly easy, Atsushi's speed and agility (and near-suicidal desperation) getting him through safely. It's staying in one place and fighting the dragon that's a lot harder - not that Atsushi won't keep trying. The longer he's there, the wilder it gets. Lowered inhibitions mean little when Atsushi is self-sacrificing to start with, and it's a dangerous combination with a selfishness that he'll all but immune to on a normal day. He will be the one to slay this dragon, no matter what it takes; he will keep going, in spite of injuries, empathic pain, and the frustrating fact that, while he can jump very high, that still limits him to attacks from straight below the dragon at best - and that is suicidal to the point that even a not-fully-sane Atsushi thinks is unwise.
Fortunately he's not the only one around, and if he sees someone on a gryphon, or someone with special powers that he thinks may be of use, he's quick to yell at them.]
I can take care of it! Just get me up there!
[Wildcard Me!]
Bring it! Atsushi also has the Natha's limited revival spell, if that's a thing you want to play with. That said, he's... not in the best mindset to remember applying it, maybe.