( open ) 003

[harimaya]

Who ⬤ Hizen Tadahiro & you
What ⬤ Catchall for May & June
When ⬤ May
Where ⬤ See prompts
Content Warnings ⬤ N/A for now


SUBSTORY 1: MOON MEDICINE

(It was just mochi. How dangerous could mochi be? There's a reason why mochi is up high on Hizens' list of favorite foods and it's because mochi has never done him wrong.

… Yeah, this definitely isn't his brightest moment and in his defense, he never pretended to be particularly smart.

It's a warm, sunny spring day but Hizen is bundled up in his hoodie and a scarf. No matter what does, he can't fight off this chill and even being out in the sun isn't helping. Desperate, he tries to buy a hot drink from a vending machine if only so he can have something to warm his hands with and






it just takes his money without giving him anything. He tries one more time and gets the exact same result! He can be found sticking his arm up the slot, shaking the machine, or punching it. Sensitive to being watched, he turns his head to see you. Yes, you and snaps, teeth chattering,)

What?! (He's defensive,) Stop looking!

(And please don't perceive the fact that he's literally shaking while he yells at you.)

SUBSTORY 2: VEND ME A DREAM

(They had to retrieve a photograph of a certain host and then bring a hitobashira some takoyaki from a particular vendor that required waiting in an obscenely long line that never seemed to move. After getting the takoyaki, they had to go to a cafe and find a kitsune who was actually a very offended tanuki who asked them if they tried the vending machine alley on the other side of the city. When they get to the alley, they find a strange vending machine in the place that should have had the vending machine they were looking for. It looks like it's been replaced with one that just gives ominous mystery items instead.

His body is small and can only hold so much frustration before he explodes. He lets out a yell when he sees the vending machine,)

Aaaaaaaah! (He kicks at it which makes it beep and flicker,) Where the hell is it?!

(An entire floor full of vending machines and the right one isn't even here.

Maybe you were already with Hizen on his quest. Or maybe you were also led to the hall of vending machines. Or you just heard about this weird place and want to try your luck for unrelated reasons.)

SUBSTORY 4: HANIWHAT?

(He isn't the most sensitive person, even back home when he knows what to look out for. It's easy for most things to slip past him if he isn't paying attention, especially in Jigoku-cho where there are so many things happening, a strange occurrence here and there can be overlooked. But these dolls are strange. He isn't an expert on them but he recognizes them for what they are. They're old; far beyond in his time or knowledge. At first, he hadn't thought much of them but the more he noticed them, the more uncomfortable he became.

These things just feel bad to him. They make him uncomfortable and put him on edge and when he hears that the Enma are calling for them, he's relieved. Good riddance. He has no idea what they're up to but it isn't going to be his problem.

But everyone is so nosy. Everyone wants to push their luck and see what they are. They touch them, they move them around, they treat them roughly, and it just makes him feel anxious. When he sees you checking one out, he snaps,)

Oi. Leave it alone.

(He's clearly irritated,)

You're gonna get in trouble if you keep messing with it.

GENERAL: SHUTEN TERRITORY

(Hizen can be found checking out some of the weapons stores in Shuten territory. He isn't looking for a new weapon— he's perfectly content with his own sword, thank you very much. But when your true form is your sword, weapon maintenance is important. He's shopping for oil, cloth, and other things to take care of himself and he's also asking around to see if anyone can recommend a good smith but no one really wants to give out their source. Instead, they keep trying to sell him a new sword,)

I told ya already, I'm not interested.

(Yeah, but they really don't want to give out their suppliers. It's bad for business, you know?)

I don't give a shit about that. I'm just looking for a guy that can fix things.

(Well, if your sword is broken then might they recommend this one here? It's quite popular with the new recruits—)

I'm not broke!

(Kind of a weird thing to yell but yeah.)

OPEN TOP LEVELS

I'll be adding more top-levels and linking them here so they don't end up lost in the other comments,

⟡ Post-Intro Mingle: (It's raining, it's pouring)

WILDCARD

❀ If you have another idea for a prompt or would like to plot anything out, let me know
❀ Plotting comment here
❀ contact; eski | discord: eski#9874 | PM

Comments

✩ substory#1

[ahost]

[ it was a sight that's hard to ignore, and yuuji would've intervened a lot sooner if he recognized that boy from the first glimpse, but he didn't. instead, the sorcerer was a mere spectator of a public tantrum between a small group of other strangers, contemplating if he should stop that crazy man or not. you know? perhaps he should do his job and restore order or whatever. the enma way and all. he should— but he just walked out from an all-night shift and he's ... tired.

the moment he realized who that guy was, yuuji perked up a bit and pushed through the crowd, making his way toward hizen. he didn't even flinch when the other barked at him, merely smiling. ]

Those things can be annoying, huh? Let me help you out.

[ from a closer perspective, yuuji noticed something is off— but chose not to comment yet. ]

[harimaya]

(He's so cold he's angry and look... at this point, a part of his sleeve is stuck on something in the machine's slot and he can't get out. This is truly embarrassing but instead of feeling warm from his embarrassment, he's still cold.

Ah, it's that kid though. He recognizes him from the funeral but he can't help but snap again,)

I d-don't need help!

(Ah, his teeth are chattering to the point he really can't help but stammer and that's stupid. God damn human bodies are annoying sometimes. You get a little cold and you end up having to sound like an idiot too? Terrible.)

-- Just trying t-to get what I paid for.

Shuten territory

[himbosupreme]

[Some of the dealers were a bit on edge already because apparently an Enma had made their way here, but were quickly mollified by his friendly demeanor. It seems like he just wanted a new weapon and they were suddenly all more than happy to help him.

Cain was oblivious to the tension his presence brings, but he's at least observant enough to know these people were trying to rip him off for a shoddy product. He knew his swords at least...

Luckily he heard someone else yelling, and it was about swords, so a figurative light bulb went off in Cain's head. Perhaps he was a local down here, and knew more where he could find something relatively decent?

He could find the man by sound at least, and squinted in the direction he thought the man was.]

Hey, I heard you're looking for a sword-do you know anyone trustworthy down here that might have something affordable?

[harimaya]

("Oh, so you have money then? Might I interest you in--" The keeper tries again and Hizen slams his fist on the counter in frustration,)

That's not what I meant!

(And it's then that the owner has had enough. The fine! If his goods aren't good enough for Hizen then he can try somewhere else but he won't find a greater deal here and it won't be here later when Hizen comes crawling back.

Hizen hisses when someone else approaches him. He's clearly in a poor mood after this interaction and it's just Cain's misfortune that he's caught Hizen at a bad time,)

I'm not looking for a sword! (He's yelling,) There's nothing wrong with me!

1

[federates]

[ barton had just purchased an iced coffee from a nearby vending machine, notably without issue. the can clunks into place, and he retrieves it, snapping back its pull tab with a gratifying tssshk. well, it would be gratifying, if it weren't for the massive amounts of noise coming from his right. ]

[ barton peers over, and admittedly, does stare. this looks like impending vandalism. ]

What's wrong with you? Cut that crap out.

[ the kicking, punching... the shaking... all of the above... ]

[harimaya]

(He's shaking so hard from the cold and anger that he feels like he just leave his body right now. Holy shit how can any physical body possibly contain itself when you're shaking this hard? He could just project himself into a whole out of body experience right now.)

The hell?!

(Seeing Barton with a drink on the first attempt after this dang machine ate his money three times pisses him off. He's so pissed.

(He never pretended to be a smart spirit.)

Teeth chattering,)

Can it-t-t. This is between m-me and this piece of junk!

(He punches the machine! It beep, beep, beeps and flashes.)

(OTA) POST-MINGLE, IT'S RAINING

[harimaya]

(Reference.)

(After the welcome parties and slipping away to get away from the exhausting energy of the Shuten crowd, he ends up caught out in the rain. Ah, he really thought he could beat it before it got too heavy but now he's out without an umbrella, his hood pulled up over his head, and taking cover under the awning of a building.

He holds his hand out to catch some of the rain and frowns. It doesn't look like it's going to let up any time soon. Maybe he should just bite the bullet and make a break for home.)

[breweries]

[ shylock hasn't had the time to mingle with the newbies much, unfortunately. the karaoke session coincided with his schedule at one of the more lowkey bars in the tamamo area, so he had to leave the mingle pretty abruptly.

it's too bad, because business today seems to be rather slow tonight. doesn't help the fact that it has just started raining cats and dogs outside that shylock had to squint at the window to see who else is stuck in the rain at this hour--

ah. look what the cat dragged in.

smiling to himself, he slides away from his post at the bar and walks out the door as quietly as he could, hoping to surprise hizen with his usual alluring voice ever so close to his ear. ]

Leaving so soon?

[worldbent]

You do get into the most difficult situations, don't you?

[Out of the gloom of the rain tips a familiar bullseye-patterned parasol- holding up remarkably well for being made of paper- and Matoba's smiling face beneath it. Was the little sword on his way back from the Shuten shindig...? Well, no matter.]

You don't have anything for the rain? [Matoba looks him up and down. Obviously not, and... he doesn't really expect that of him, either, but after a moment, Matoba seems to come to a decision and gives a little sigh, tilting his parasol towards Hizen.]

...Very well. Shall we head to the stores to find you something?

[laughitoff]

[Wei Wuxian likes socializing, especially with people in Jigokucho, who mostly don't come from the same place he does, and thus usually won't threaten to kill him mid-conversation. still, he's got less energy for large celebrations than he used to, and something about the gloomy weather had put him in a bit of a grey mood.

he'd ended up wandering after leaving the festivities, and crossed into Shuten territory to get his regular stock-up of alcohol. Sutoku booze is usually cheaper, but Shuten booze gets the job done fast, which is what he's after tonight, to chase away the gloom.

he's got one already-opened bottle in one hand when he ducks under the awning with Hizen, though he's barely started on it. the rest of the bottles clink softly together in the bag slung over his other arm.]

Ack, ack, ack--oh, hi.

sub-story 2: vend me a dream

[nerine]

[Work is done for the night and Monts is thankful because she wasn't particularly comfortable looking at the shirime who was asking for help obtaining a certain item while at the club. She didn't promise immediate results, but assured them that she'll look into it.

Presently, she was just planning on heading home passing by the usual line of vending machines, but the young man yelling at them gives her pause. Leaning backwards she peeks to see what the heck is up and watches Hizen vent his frustrations.

When the noise dies down she calls to him, curious.]

Hello! Let me know if you're drunk, mad, or both!

[harimaya]

(He yells one more time for good measure because his fury is bigger than his body and he needs to let it out some how. With that out of his system, he can finally answer even if it's short and snappy,)

I'm pissed! (He kicks the machine and it just lets out a sad beep beep...) I've been working since this afternoon!

(And now it's night time! It's night! He's hungry! He's tired! He's angry! )

Vend Me A Dream

[kikuichi]

[At some point, Norimune and Hizen crossed paths during their respective errands of errands. Somehow, their same initial request split off in two different directions? And ultimately converge somewhere, and now they decided to team up.

Norimune's checking out the other vending machines, mostly to see what they have here. Because hey, maybe they have something neat in them? He can spare some changes for them. And who knows, maybe the one they're looking for is among them? He looks over when he overhear Hizen's frustrated yell.]

Not that one, I take it.

[harimaya]

(The one they're looking for is not among them but maybe there's a rumor about a certain vending machine in a certain row and how if you push a certain button, it'll grant you a fortune for what you're looking for... not that Hizen believes in that!!!)

No!

(He feels like he's going insane and he kicks another machine that lets out a sad beep beep noise and dims.)

I bet it isn't real! We don't even know what the hell we're looking for.

substory 4.

[rainswords]

[ The voice calling out brings pause to action, his hand is extended out, fingers just a couple of centimeters from making contact. No, he wasn't merely looking at the figure but his intention was to pick it up. Although now briefly distracted he looks towards the person attempting to get his attention and then he glances back at the figure. He has a choice, his expression doesn't hide that he is considering both. Slowly he leans forward, and just when it seems he will touch the odd clay figurine he stops. ]

Isn't there a request to retrieve these for the department?

[harimaya]

Then let them deal with it.

(If they want these statues then they can come get them for themselves.)

Dunno what they're thinking making a bunch of ordinary people do their dirty work... (Those statues give him the heebie-jeebies and he doesn't bother trying to hide his displeasure,) D'ya even know what you're messing with?

( closed )

[harimaya]

(Mini Event: Turf War)

(Tensions between the Tamamo and Shuten have always been an issue. Someone had pointed it out to Hizen a while ago that maybe... Tenkohime and Toraguma had a history or something? Well, it's all just a rumor as far as Hizen is concerned. Still, with the fighting picking back up again, he finds himself more troubled these days.

He never asked for this promotion. He isn't even sure how he got it if he's being honest. But with things picking up, he's sent out to keep an eye on some Shuten grunts here and to bail another group out of trouble there.

In a contested area on the border of Shuten and Tamamo's territory, a brawl breaks out. Some younger Shuten members, their judgment impaired with alcohol and youthful pride, go after some Tamamo workers. They yell something about them playing tricks and scamming them out of their money. It was all a trick! Get them drunk, say some nice words, and keep pouring before they can even say stop while charging insane prices. They refused to pay, they tried to get their money back, and... well, it looks like the Tamamo have finally hired some more muscle, huh?

The Shuten members are just low-bit thugs. There's no skill. They're the type of punks that get by on strength alone. When faced with skill, they aren't much. They can be taken down easily enough but that doesn't stop them from getting up and trying to fight more for the sake of their pride.

Hizen sighs. Having finally found one of his groups... and deep in it, too. What a drag. )

Oi! (The small-time youkai look over to see who's calling them this time.) Causing trouble?

(They try to explain themselves. They were scammed! Tricked! They're just teaching a lesson. The kitsune snap back from the sidelines that they did no such thing.)

What a pain in the ass... (He steps in front of his subordinates, hand resting on his sword, ready to go,) I ain't listening to no fox.

You. (The familiar face. Jack.) Is it true?

[hellborne]

Hm…

[ well, isn’t this a strange turn of events?

truth be told, jack has little sense of camaraderie towards the kitsune that they work for. in the end, it’s all the same for them, a simple contract and a means to obtain their wish. if it means having to listen to them and do their bidding, then jack will do so with no complaints. this is all just another job; nothing else. ]

Your Oni were causing trouble to our most honored patrons and owners.

[ unlike their first meeting, jack’s voice here is a practiced neutral tone, their blue eyes sharp as glass. though lacking their thousand faces skill, blending into the skulk of foxes has not been as difficult as they first imagined. adapting their mannerisms and cues has been easy, and wearing the mask when needed has been easier still. ]

The workers here treated them fairly and respectfully until they became agitated. Therefore, I was left with no choice but to remove them from the premises.

[ the kitsune resume yelling once more, throwing accusations at the group. jack gives them a glance, but returns a steady gaze on hizen.

their hands rest on the hilt of their knives, every single one of their nerves on high alert for any movement. ]

I’m simply doing my job. Let’s avoid any bloodshed—it’s simply terrible for business.

( closed )

[harimaya]

( June: Beach Event )

(He wishes he could just enjoy the beach in peace instead of it having to be a huge social event. Instead, he's surrounded by more people than he'd like and as usual, he has his orders from the boss to do more... things. What the even is volleyball and why do they care so much? He's watched it and it seems like so much effort.

The only thing he's really looking forward to is being able to eat and drink but he'd rather do it with other company than with everyone. Ugh, he's too introverted for this. He's too much of a wet noodle for these things and he knows it. His beach style is about what you'd expect. Dark swim trunks, a red, short-sleeved hoodie, and... even at the beach, he keeps his neck covered. At least this time, it's a little neater than what it would usually look like but it's still haphazardly wrapped.

He still finds himself gravitating towards a certain tiki bar. He notes that the drinks being made for the event are different from the ones he's had before. A lot of these look more colorful. There are little umbrellas in some of them. Everything looks more tropical? It all feels very summery. He gets closer and closer until finally, he can snag himself a seat at the end of the bar when most people are invested in a volleyball match or something.

He watches Shylock prepare a drink, obviously curious about what it is this time.)

[breweries]

[ when tenkohime appointed shylock to manage the tiki bar, he knows that he'll be too busy to do anything else until he either closes shop or someone offers to take over for him. nonetheless, it doesn't bother him one bit; bartending is something that he doesn't mind doing the rest of the day -- after all, he's been doing this for seven hundred years, and he has no interest in looking into another field of work anytime soon.

at least he has a nice view of the ensuing volleyball match from here. this is one of those moments where he's thankful that he is a wizard, where he can magically shake and stir drinks while he catches glimpses of the ensuing battle out there. this time he's serving up two glasses of mai tai, garnishing them with orange slices before ringing them up and turning to another customer -- oh.

look what the cat dragged in. just going to slide the menu towards him, then. ]

So glad you dropped by, Hizen.

[ and that's it. he hasn't quite forgotten the last time they'd met, after all. ]

( closed )

[harimaya]

( June: Beach Event )

(As expected of Hizen Tadahiro, he skips most of the more social events and goes straight for the food and drinks. It might not be a real beach but it sure feels real. Even the sun feels like it's burning when he stays out too long (it sure is a good thing he has sunscreen).

He chooses his flavor (cherry and lemon) and waits as the yuki-onna in charge works to make the perfect shaved ice. It probably also feels cooler around the yuki-onna's stand if only because of whatever magic they have going on in the area. Makes sense when you're a snow spirit because how else are you going to survive the beach?

And yes, Hizen is getting the largest size they have because he's a glutton.)

[worldbent]

[Ahhh, shaved ice, truly the best part of enjoying a summer day at the beach!! Matoba had been looking forward to this ever since the Daitengu had announced the gathering, as one of the few summer activities listed that he was actually interested in purely for his own reasons.]

[It shouldn't surprise him to see the familiar red and black scruffy head waiting in front of the chilly treat cart, but he pauses a moment as he approaches before smiling to himself privately, and being a little more delicate in his step as he approaches from behind.]

Cherry and lemon..... Excellent classic choices, Hizen-kun. [He speaks as soon as he's within Hizen's sphere of personal space, leaning over just enough to look into the glass sneezeguard to see the flavors available, pondering his own selection.] Shall I also get cherry? Or perhaps watermelon, or Hawaiian... Hm hm hm, I wonder...

( closed )

[harimaya]

( June: Cursed City )

(It isn't Hizen's style to retreat and hide safely while things fall apart around him. This isn't how he was trained. When all things go to hell, he has to go out and do everything he can to make things right. He doesn't know how he can stop the curse. This isn't like trying to correct a failed timeline and yet, he's watching everyone fall into frenzies around him and it brings back too many troubling memories.

It makes him worry about one person in particular and he hasn't heard anything from him recently. He knows Norimune is going to be working with the rest of the Enma to rescue and contain the curse or whatever it is those stuffy guys are but he doesn't care about what the Enma are doing. He cares about what Norimune is doing and it isn't like him to ignore him like this.

The city is huge but he's resolved to find his comrade. After what feels like forever in this blood rain, he sees a familiar figure and makes a line for them,)

Oi! You bastard! Answer me when I call you!

[kikuichi]

[He's been seeing glimpses of that genius swordsman here and there before this, whenever he stay a little too long in the haunted areas. That was then, this is now. The blood rain continue to pour, staining anything it touches. At first, he's disgusted by it. If he have to be stained with blood, it have to come from battle. That's the most logical way to cover a sword in blood.

But the more and longer he's out in this cursed atmosphere and weather, the longer the blood sticks to him. And the more he sees the occasional crack in the world (it's not real, but it sounds real). But he did hear Hizen's voice, just barely, which got Norimune to look over.]

Oh, Hizen!

[He sounds... stressed. His eyes are glancing around, searching for something... someone.]

June: In The Cursed Night!

[worldbent]

[In the inky darkness, there were dozens of eyes.]

[All of them were looking, watching, as Matoba made his way through the city, a pilgrimage from warded space to warded space, fulfilling his duty as an exorcist. Muttered words could be heard around him too, muffled into the night, but if one stopped and listened carefully their words could be made out past the rumbling groans--]

....Eye.... Where.. is it..... right eye........

[Even though he had evaded its attack already, the curse seemed to be feeding off the energy that had flooded the city, and was stalking him through its gloomth. ...Let it, Matoba had decided, dismissing it with an empty laugh at his own expense as he plods through the streets with purpose, made sluggish and ragged with overexertion. As long as it followed the rules- and it would- its hunger and rage could fester unimpeded on the cursed energy radiating from the Kaigou-no-bou.]

[After all, that strength would only be reflected back onto Matoba, himself.]

[harimaya]

(Interestingly, this isn't his first time finding himself under the intense gaze of too many eyes in the darkness. Instead of the cryptic, "tell me your story" though, these eyes seem to have something else to say. The way these eyes talks about a missing eye, though... he can reasonably guess who's curse he's experiencing.

Matoba may also catch glimpses of another curse mixed in with his own. Shadowy figures, shaped like humans but moving unnaturally and with hands reaching out cry desperately in pain. Barely intelligent, if one truly pays attention, you can piece together a single sentence broken in pieces, "We... were... happy...!"

As Hizen makes his way through the rain, keeping to the awnings and coverings of buildings and whatever he can find, he pushes through. He's absolutely covered in the rain despite his best attempts to stay out of it but he can't help but go out into the rain when he has to drag someone out of it and shove them into a nearby building.

Occasionally, Hizen lets his strength falter. He's exhausted and can't help but let some vulnerability slip through every now and then. In these moments, a curse ventures too close and he draws his sword, bringing it down and twisting his blade tiredly. It's after slaying one that Matoba can find Hizen. The shadow whispers, "Why do you... look familiar...?" The shadow melts away and Hizen remains still. He needs a second to catch his breath, to really recenter himself. There's definitely something wild in the air around him-- the same frenzy that has taken over the city. His red eyes seem a little brighter in that way that definitely isn't human. It feels like things could snap at any moment...

With a shuddering breath, it passes and he picks himself back up, sword returning to his side. He lifts the edge of his hood to look up at whoever is approaching,)

... Why are you here? (He didn't expect to see Matoba. He's too tired to really snap,) You should be inside.

JUNE - IT'S MONSTER TIME!!!

[aceslow]

[ A point of pride for Kim is his ability to distinguish between his strengths and his weaknesses. It had taken quite a long time for him to actually get to that point, but at the age of forty-three, he likes to think that he's finally managed it. He's effective enough in a fight; he has passed his firearm tests, knows the basics of hand-to-hand and has certainly survived in many a fight, from breaking up unruly drunks to dangerous shoot-outs between warring gangs, to being caught as an undercover cop and being alarmingly faced with a group of very righteously angry and very violent people. He can handle himself there. He knows he can.

These beasts prowling the streets are a different story. With that in mind, Kim resolved to do what he could, which was not to stake his claim on the frontlines and instead do what he was good at: organizing what needed to be done and investigating to the best of his abilities. The Kineema made this task much easier, capable of speeding away or speeding over the monsters in its path. But from time to time, Kim had to stray from its safe shelter. In this case, he had a dolly filled with supplies to deliver to a hideout filled with frightened ayakishi, their home unreachable save for through an alleyway too narrow for his vehicle to get through. So off Kim went, peering around with his sturdy flashlight before venturing forward.

What he wasn't expecting was a beast that made its home not in the alley itself, but in the alley's shadows; evading the laws of matter themselves as a creature, inky-black and horned, with a single glowing eye set deep into its skull and a wide, fanged maw suddenly leaps out of the darkness with a sound like nails against chalkboard.

Kim falls with a heavy thump as it ensnares both of his legs in a massive claw and he lets out a yell of surprise, immediately scrabbling for his firearm and is stymied when a second claw comes crashing down to pin his arm to the ground. He writhes in its grasp with all his might, a collection of flailing limbs and sharp knees and elbows, powered both by instinct and his own strong desire to live as he grasps for what he can to hurl it at the creature.

It doesn't seem intent on killing him, or at least not yet -- just on dragging him away. Regardless, it's impossible not to hear him shouting himself hoarse, frightened and furious in equal measures, and determined not to find out exactly where the beast wishes to carry him. ]

[harimaya]

(People are stubborn. People are foolish. People are weak. People are just unlucky. For whatever the reason, not everyone makes it to the safety of the Shuten arena or the other shelters. There aren't many people here exactly experienced with the world falling apart and the people twisting and going mad with fear and despair. It's one of the reasons why Hizen decides to venture out into the rain.

It's not that he likes it or he wants to be a hero or anything. He just knows he can do it. He can endure it. He might even be good at it.

He manages to chase down an ameonna, distraught by the rain and trying desperately to make things "right." He shoves her into a convenience store the employees are exasperated with other customers huddling in place but Hizen doesn't care about their comfort. Despite it all, they warn him not to go back out. He doesn't listen.

All he can really hear is the fall of the rain mixed with whispers and curses. Why do you look like me? Again and again and again and again and again. Why do you get to be happy? All outsiders must perish. You don't want this either. You didn't ask for this mission.

And a scream cuts through, distinctly clear from the distorted, twisted voices that have been following him since this rain started. He runs towards the source. It doesn't take him long. He isn't very far. But when Hizen arrives, his sword is drawn and he moves with both speed and skill. Even more, Hizen is nothing but brutal. Even if it's against shadows, he aims to kill and he aims his sword right for the creature's eye.)