jigokulogs | [open] no strings attached

[ He already has his hand resting loosely on Emily's arm and when the earth gets rocked under their feet, it's not even something he thinks about dragging her in against his chest. He ducks his head down to get away from the steam, calling out loudly, ]

Izo!

[ Only two people in this whole fucking crowd matter right now. ]

Edited 2022-04-01 19:53 (UTC)

[ Izō isn't far away but he finds himself frozen in place for a moment. Explosions generally meant one thing in his life and that was foreign ships on the coast. His first instinct is to run for cover and huddle to wait it out, but Majima's voice pulls him out of that.

They need protection more than he needs safety. He can't see well so the voice is all he has to go off of. The sudden crush of people makes it worse and he finds himself scrambling and shoving through the crowd to get over to them.

He gets in close to both of them, hand on his katana. ]

What th' fuck is happening?!

[ As if anyone knows. ]

[the world explodes, and Emily's hit with fear - at the same time, her brain starts planning, thinking, organizing. she doesn't have her kit on her, meaning she'd have to fly home or pray that someone has supplies nearby. even as Majima pulls her in, shields her, she has to think about these things. but then at the same time, Izo, where is he-

he emerges, and her gratitude is mixed with a bone deep feeling of what did we do, staying silent?]

It's the machine...

[and the gunfire. people are going to be hurt, killed-]

You have to get to cover!

[ The last time he was in an explosion... Lee had gone ahead to start the van, setting off the car bomb that threw him and Makoto across the street. Then the man in the white suit came and hit him in the face and taken Makoto. His arm squeezes around Emily anxiously, the other hand wants to find Izo before they can all be pulled apart by the swell of the crowd. ]

Ain't goin' nowhere fast, stay on yer feet.

[ He's the biggest of them, he can push and shoulder a little but the press of bodies is resistant to them. He could really fucking use that snake form right about now. He grits his teeth and does it anyway. ]

[ Well, if they die, they'll die together. Better than dying alone huddled in a corner, right? Izō isn't thinking straight or much at all. It's easier just to let himself be pulled and led right now. He keeps the hilt of his sword clutched in his hand like a security blanket.

What good is he if he can't keep the ones he cares about safe. ]

Can't see shit... [ Useless complaining. ] Where th' fuck are we even goin'?

Wherever is solid enough that bullets won't have an easy time getting through.

[she says this, but she looks at the both of them, evaluates the crowd. panic means it won't be easy, but...]

If you see a route upwards, head for it. Everyone's going to try and disperse at ground level.

[fire escapes, railings, anything that'll bring them higher than the fights, the explosion. and height offers vantage points to evaluate the situation. it's easier than forcing your way through something difficult.]

Edge'a th'street.

[ Even just getting their backs to one of the buildings would be an improvement. It will be hard to pick out any escape ladders in the steam, but they're certainly not out here in the square. He keeps pushing, only letting go of either of them long enough to push off some wild yokai who comes swinging at nothing. He tries not to knock it out, they don't need that rag doll under their feet potentially tripping and dragging people down. But he does need to shoulder the fucker into spinning off and away from them. ]

Keep pushin, I'm coming.

[ Izō stumbles on ... something. Something living. Someone. He doesn't want to think about it. He has to let go of Majima's hand to keep from dragging the other two down.

They're going to get separated if he can't get to his feet. He's probably going to get hurt, but that doesn't matter. ]

Keep goin'! [ Don't worry about him. ] I'll catch up!

[only now does she pull back from Majima, instead reaching for Izo, to try and help him back up. the crush of the crowd is secondary, at least one person accidentally hits her wing, but she doesn't care.]

No - we stay together!

[she can't trust that he'll catch up. can't trust that this crowd won't pull him away, hurt him, lose him in the steam.]

[ She's mostly right, if they lose him in this crowd there's a very low chance they're going to find him again. Worse if he goes down and gets trampled under everyone's feet. Majima punches someone who may or may not have deserved it to get them to give the two tengu more space, growling. He comes to lift them both, arms wide around each set of wings as he gets fists in clothes. ]

Up. Don't get caught underfoot.

[ They should've left him, he's going to slow them down. It's better not to give him the chance to protest or fight.

He just wants to be somewhere safe. Somewhere he can relax and not think about why he's panicking. He needs a whole lot of booze to forget this night and the memories it dredged up. ]

...I said keep goin'. [ Instead of moping, he looks ahead and points. ] There, there's a doorway over there!

[she'll accept being hauled up like a sack of apples since Izo is there as well. it's too easy to leave someone for your own skin, and she doesn't want to start all that again. instead, she starts moving in the direction he indicates, not too quickly to make sure no one gets dropped again. it's not too far to the wall, and from there they can go into the doorway.

so close. so close, and they'll be out of the main crush of it.]

[ He will die before he loses track of either of them. He has already watched Nishitani get plugged, lost Makoto, seen Lee get blown to pieces. His stress is becoming more aggressive in the way he gets people out of the way, less and less interest in who else gets hurt as he hauls their bird bones along with him. He slings them both towards the wall and stands there with his hands pushed into the brick over them, chest heaving. His head turns towards where he can hear gunshots, lip curling. Typical yakuza bullshit, it flits through his mind to find someone and bash their face in with their own stupid gun. ]

[ The panicked voice inside his head still says he's not safe. Izō looks like he's on the verge of tears, his eyes darting around in search of an escape. It's not good for anyone involved that he's this freaked out. Perhaps this is why he allows Karasu to take over for now -- for once, the tengu is the more reasonable of the two of them. It'll be better if Izō takes a little nap.

It's a subtle change; his breathing slows and his posture relaxes. He doesn't even say anything shitty. The situation is chaotic enough without him making it worse. Strangely considerate of him. ]

Good job. [ It's not sarcastic for once. And then a little reassurance. ] I'll give him back once we're somewhere safe.

[the change in voice doesn't escape her, and her eyes widen - Karasu, now, coming in to shield as much as Hibiki has done for her in the past. it's considerate in a way she didn't expect, and in her eyes is a clear sense of gratitude that he is. before she will say anything, though, she grabs both their hands and pulls them along, through the door - there's no one in the building, and only then does she let go, looking around to try to find a stairway. if she can be sure the both of them go up there, they'll be safe for now.]

We need to get you higher. The both of you.

[much as it's not her nature to command and direct, at least in this situation, she's got a cooler head than them both for now. if they're taken care of, then she can turn her mind to the other important factor here.]

[ Inside is at least free from the crush of people, although the air is still hot and humid with steam. Maybe that works for Majima though, scales wet and loose rather than constricted in with fear. He wipes his cheek of steam and sweat with the back of his hand. He frowns darkly back at the door they came through as though more brawlers might spill through it at any moment. He's not entirely here, his mind is in Sotenbori being hunted by packs of yakuza trying to take Makoto from him. It's Emily's voice that draws his attention. Talking like she's going to stash them somewhere and leave them to wait, ]

Ya ain't goin' back out there 'til the mist's cleared.

[ A moment to breathe. Izō is at peace for now. Karasu knows what he'd want and normally that wouldn't factor into his decision-making process, but this is a different set of circumstances.

He huffs a sigh as he shakes the condensation off of his wings. ]

What he said. Izō'd be pissed if anything happened to you and I don't want to deal with that. So wait.

[there's a set to her expression when she turns to look at them, a conviction that says no as clearly as if she'd verbalized it.]

There are people out there who need help. Help only a physician can give. This, compared to what I know, is nothing.

[mist on the ground, and someone breathing over your neck as you have to work faster, faster, before they round the corner. bullets hold no threat, when her mind is like this - it's divided into the idea that she can take it, move faster, be there for others. hiding is something she can't fathom. she can't explain everything to them, outline that she's used to worse, to running with any of a dozen things wrong with her.]

I can't stay here if they need me.

[later, she'll hear that sentiment echoed from the injured, and her heart will twist in empathy.]

We know that, don't mean ya gotta shot or trampled over.

[ It would be too selfish to keep her from injured people who need her, but it's just selfish enough to keep her until it's safe. He offers her his hand with a frown. ]

Just wait or you're more likely to join the injured than help them.

[ Karasu shrugs. ]

Or don't wait and prove me right.

[there's a clear war on her features, a frustration that runs bone deep at the idea of stopping. as much as Emily will say to others it's alright, that they need rest, it never applies to her - not when she can feel the pull, almost a compulsion, to go.

she's not leaving, but she's not happy about it, and not moving. every now and then, she deserves to be a little stubborn as well.]

[ He steps forward and takes her hand. ]

Ya can watch th'street from upstairs, an' we'll go with ya when there's some visibility again.

[ Karaus keeps his distance for now. They are Izō's people, not his. It'd feel wrong if he was the one to offer some kind of comfort. Perhaps the shitty bird has grown something of a conscience -- doubtful. ]

Listen to him.

[with a deep, slow exhale, she relents, holding onto Majima's hand. and then, even though it's Karasu coming forth, she steps over and takes his hand as well. they stay together - that's her conditions for agreeing to this.]

...When it clears.

[she hates having to compromise on this. but them near, it makes it easier.]

[open] no strings attached

[CLOSED] (MAJIMA) 🕊️🐍🦅

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