I put an axe in my baby's head, I'm gonna end up doing time [SEMI-CLOSED]

[heretic_blade]

Who ⬤ Okada Izō and various
What ⬤ Nightmare curse rain fun times!
When ⬤ June
Where ⬤ Various
Content Warnings ⬤ Violence and trauma at a minimum


(( OOC: These are prompts for the curse release and blood rain from the June event. If you want a custom prompt, PM me here or on discord glitzkrieg#0673! ))

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Hizen

[heretic_blade]

[ Izō is little more than a wild animal at this point, injured, exhausted, and out of his mind. Between his own struggles with nightmarish visions, the blood rain drives Karasu into a frenzy. Their consciousnesses bleed together, nearly impossible to tell which thoughts are Izō's and which are the tengu’s.

He’s slumped against a wall in a dead end alley, breathing ragged. His eyes lock onto Hizen and he forces him to his feet. His shape is familiar, so Izō isn’t aggressive just yet. It’s hard to tell whose blood it is that stains his skin and soaks his clothes – how much is his, how much is someone else’s, how much is the rain? He looks so much like the killer that stalked the streets of Kyoto.

Izō doesn’t say anything. He just waits at the entrance to the alleyway, growling. ]

[harimaya]

(It's raining blood in the city and good luck finding a stupid umbrella anywhere. He can't even get a shitty convenience store umbrella to keep him dry so he has to make do with sticking to awnings and whatever shelters he can find. It's summer and muggy but he pulls a hood up over his head and a scarf over his face and he sets out to try and find stragglers or people precious to him that he hasn't seen in some time.

Izo is one of those people he hasn't seen and he tells himself not to worry. Izo is strong. He can take care of himself. He has people who can take care of him. He'll be fine, right?

But he can't shake off this feeling. This twist in his gut that makes him keep an eye out all the same. In every abandoned building, in every alleyway, on every street, he dreads the idea of finding Izo out here. And its out here that he finds him. He recognizes the silhouette instantly, changes his direction, rearranges all of his priorities, and goes to him.

Before he gets too close, he stops short. He's already on edge from the rain and all of the cursed energy. It's taking all of his training to keep himself tempered. But he can feel it in the air, coming from Izo in particular and he lets out a short, breathy laugh,)

Hah... this is familiar. (A killer recognizes a killer.) Okada Izo.

(He tries to call out.)

[heretic_blade]

[ Izō has at least enough sense to recognize his name. His growling grows louder as he steps out of the alley, keeping low like a threatened animal. He doesn't go far, just enough to make himself known, enough to posture in an attempt to drive Hizen off.

He can't be real. Nothing and no one is to be trusted right now. Hizen is just another hallucination to torment him in some way. Karasu's hollow voice tells him that, echoed by his own mind. It's better to attack now and drive off the threat than to get pulled in again.

At least he doesn't have his swords. That doesn't mean he isn't dangerous. Claws and fangs can rip and tear flesh just as well. ]

[harimaya]

(In Tosa, your social class is everything. Those from the lowest class are regarded as no better than beasts. Hizen knows better, though. Even like this, when something is so wrong and Izo seems so gone, Hizen knows who he is standing in front of him.)

You're not gonna scare me. We're the same, y'know.

(They're both killers. He shifts position, anticipating Izo's next moves in case he can't be reasoned with,)

Do you think you're a beast?

[heretic_blade]

[ It's not a matter of thinking, he knows he's one right now. There's no difference between him and the tengu. At least he understands Hizen -- doesn't trust him, but at least understands him.

Izō nods as he gets closer, tightly coiled and ready to pounce. A final warning to stay back comes in the form of claws lashing out to rake across whatever he can get a hold of.

He needs to get out of this rain before he's too far gone to have any sense left. ]

Nishitani

[heretic_blade]

[ Why Izō hasn’t made it to the Arena yet is anyone’s guess. The answer is his traumatic response to the cursed energy and the blood rain driving his youkai insane. He’s barely himself anymore – blame Karasu. The tengu encourages him to act on his violent impulses and attack anyone who gets too close as a protective measure. Everyone wants to hurt them, right? Better to attack first and ask questions later.

He looks for all the world like a ghost with his tattered clothing soaked in blood. Some of it is his own – he’s wounded, but it doesn’t matter. Nishitani is too close to him and he can’t handle that right now. Izō lunges at him from where he’d been standing, teeth and claws bared. Small favors that he doesn’t have his swords right now. ]

[pitfight]

[ Nishitani and Andy had agreed: they'll go out and save people, but their people came first. The blood rain, Nishitani is fine with that-- the hallucinations, though? Less of those, thanks. He'd never been impressed by LSD, and he's not about to start. ]

[ Which is how Nishitani has ended up here, with Izo. He'd seen Iichan from afar, jogged to catch up with him. ] Iichan, the fuck are you doing-- [ And leads to Izo attacking, claws and talon exposed. ]

[ Instinctively, Nishitani pulls up his arm to take the brunt of the damage, and he slips back along the brick to a safer distance. Okay-- that won't work. ] Izo, you in there? [ Hopefully the rain doesn't make him sound like a thousand and one different demons, but Nishitani isn't holding out hope. ]

[heretic_blade]

[ He is in there somewhere, but that somewhere also has a tengu bleeding into his consciousness in a way they're practically inseparable. They've both been deceived by illusions and hallucinations to the point that no one is to be trusted.

His response is a low growl, teeth bared and wings spread. Reasoning with him seems like an impossibility as he lunges at Nishitani again, eager to rip and tear whatever he can get a hold of. ]

[pitfight]

[ Okay-- shit, Nishitani looks around himself to see what's nearby; the environment is going to have to make due considering Nishitani only brought his knife with him and that's not going to fly against restraining Izo. Dodging to the right, Nishitani dodges out of the way of one of Izo's wings, feeling the strength of the hit and knowing it would've broken his arm. ]

[ Calm down the bird. Nishitani notices that it's-- claws, talons, teeth, wings. Izo isn't making fists, he's not kicking-- ]

[ Bird. How the fuck do you calm down birds? ] Okay, baby boy. Follow me. [ Into a building. The close quarters will make it so the sweeping attacks Izo tries won't work. And Nishitani just needs to find one-- one thing. Fuck. ]

[heretic_blade]

[ It feels like a trap, but he's willing to give chase. Eliminate the threat at all costs, even if it means going in at a disadvantage. Because of the close quarters, Izō leaves more distance between them. He can't blindly lash out the way he had been. He has to wait and bide his time.

This leaves him more open than before as he stalks Nishitani, waiting for his time to strike. ]

Ryouma

[heretic_blade]

[ Karasu buzzing in his skull is a dull roar for the moment. His senses are still about him. The blood rain threatens to undo all of that, as does the creeping dread from the nightmarish hallucinations. Damp hair clings to his face as he looks at Ryouma. Now is not the time for this. ]

Ya should get somewhere safer...For yer own good.

[ A warning because he truly does not know how much longer he’s got control. ]

[kaientai]

Can't. It's my responsibility.

[ only as much as ryouma insists it is because the order was to go to konoha, but he can't know there are people out here who might need help and sit somewhere safe.

he has overlooked the part where he might see himself become one of the people who might need help but that's a problem for later. so far, so good seeing as he still has his wits about him.

he probably just looks awful because he's covered in blood. probably. ]

Could say the same to you though.

[ the way the shadows behind him keep shifting even though he's not moving is probably fine too. ]

[heretic_blade]

[ Izō doesn't have his swords. He can't press the issue like he wants to. That doesn't stop him, though. ]

Ain't none'a this yer responsibility. Get yer ass gone already...I can handle myself. This ain't nothin'.

[ He doesn't like any of this. He doesn't like having to stand against Ryouma like this and he especially doesn't like the way the shadows are shifting. Why doesn't he have a weapon besides his teeth and claws?

It'll be fine. ]

[kaientai]

You an' I both know that ain't true.

[ he was there. he talked to karasu. he's surprised the damn tengu isn't here right now, laughing. it's not something he would ever throw in izō's face, but that's symptomatic of the deeper issue here. not that ryouma either notices or cares because he has other things on his mind. like how maybe karasu should come out because he was gloating about what ryouma saw in that puddle back then, but now ryouma's the one who's winning. she's right there, where's she's supposed to be! ]

It's okay, Izō. I found Oryou.

[ there's certainly something there, formed out of his memories, but there's a distinctly unsettling quality that the real thing certainly doesn't have. besides, she would have insulted izō by now. ]

[heretic_blade]

[ Karasu is there, just not in immediate control. His control comes over influencing Izō, telling him to act on instinct and tear at anything that's a threat. Izō manages to ignore that niggling feeling for the moment. ]

...That ain't Oryou. [ He's seen this before. Izō swallows and stands up straighter. ] Snake ain't said shit t' me.

Emily

[heretic_blade]

[ Any sense Izō may have had his long gone. His last scrap of humanity was torn about the time the nightmarish visions of his own torture and the words of those who despised him worked in tandem to pry it out of his hands. He stalks the streets as little more than a shadow, covered in blood from the rain, some of it his own. Being wounded doesn’t make him weaker, it makes him more dangerous.

Everyone is a threat now, even Emily. There is something still human in him, though, because he stops in his tracks when he sees her. It’s hard to know what’s real and what’s an effect of the curse, but he can’t bring himself to attack her. Izō just stares, posturing with his wings spread as if he’s trying to scare her away.

Whatever sensible scrap of him is still there wants to give her a chance to flee. ]

[medicative]

[she has an umbrella, and a mission. she needs to find the ones she cares about and hand this medicine over to them as a safeguard and an antidote to this world in chaos. strangely, the longer it goes on, the calmer she gets - because she's used to living in crisis, so this feels more natural than it could have been.

she didn't expect to find him so bloody, so on edge, but perhaps she should have. Emily speaks softly, kindly - she has no weapons. she only wanted to find him and help him.]

There you are. I've been looking all over for you.

[she's not running away from him, even if it's sunk into his mind - she'll just have to find a way to pour it down his throat then.]

[heretic_blade]

[ Her voice doesn't comfort him like it should. She's lucky that Izō doesn't have his swords. He can still do damage with his teeth and claws, but less than what he'd be capable of even in this state with a blade.

He bares his teeth and crouches down, growling like an animal. Any closer and he'll pounce. She's fake. She's here to torment him like everything else. Nothing else makes sense after what he's experienced. Karasu screaming at him to attack isn't helping.

One last chance. ]

[medicative]

[she sees it, and stops walking - giving him at least that much. slowly, she reaches into her pocket and takes out the vial of green colored liquid so that he can see it.]

I've brought you something to help.

[he looks like he's about to attack, that anything would set him off, like a bomb one second from exploding. but she can't run away - it's Izo, and if he's lost his mind, then she'll help him find it again. she's brought people back from this before, and she'll do it again.

she has to try. for his sake, not just hers. even if her heart pounds in her ears, Emily feels Hibiki's wings in her chest.

stay firm. this isn't him.]

[heretic_blade]

[ He doesn't trust it. How can he? Everything else has been a hallucination, a lie made to make him doubt. It's something to poison him, the frenzied voice of Karasu tells him.

"Take her down."

He shouldn't listen, he should fight and trust her...That's what he's been trying to do: to trust. Any hope of that now has been shattered. Izō lunges at her with intent to wound. Maybe that'll make her leave...

Or show him she's real. ]

Childe

[heretic_blade]

[ After he'd fled from Emily, his stress didn't get any easier. The medicine kept his feral urges at bay and would for some time. It didn't keep the nightmarish visions at bay, though.

The longer Izō walks, the worse the visions get. His idea had been to avoid anyone he knows and familiar places to keep himself hidden. That gets difficult when the roads and streets shift into ones from his home. A different time, a different place, filled with faceless but familiar figures. He recognizes one, an older man, and feels the need to follow him.

A door slams in his face. The city streets grows dark. Izō doesn't even notice Childe has walked into this hellscape of his mind. ]

[narbrawl]

[How long has Childe been wandering for? Time has lost all meaning in the infinite darkess, its passing only tangible in how heavy his body feels and whether the blood on his skin and clothes has dried. It picks at a a scabbed over part of his mind and draws out old memories: a boy stumbling in darkness, cheeks salty with tears and eyes wild with fear. The days and hours moved differently in the Abyss too.

But, at some point, the starlight and shadow of Khaenri'ah had given way to something else. Suddenly, he feels more like he's walking through the streets of Inazuma than either a heretic's grave or Jigokucho and it forces him to pay attention all over again. His pulse quickens. What now? Phantoms of people going about their business in what must be a lively city in its original form flicker in and out of reality all around him. Of course, he'll never truly be free of the Abyss; the characters on signs sometimes morph into those of its ancient language and he hears the chattering of mages.

And then Childe's eyes land on someone he recognises. Izō.

Mindlessly, he moves towards him, hand outstretched. It's only when he's too close that he remembers to be wary and reaches for his (newly bought) tantō.]

You. Speak or die.

[heretic_blade]

[ Izō sits by the door like a dog waiting for its owner. The feeling of loneliness is oppressive. Faceless people move by in the streets, but no one pays Izō any mind. The faceless man that shut the door in his face re-emerges and ignores him just as before, aside from a motion for Izō to follow him.

Childe's threat barely registers as he gets to his feet. Who dares threaten a hitokiri like Izō? ...Well, it'd be different if he had his swords. He looks unimpressed by the threat nonetheless. ]

Th' fuck are ya doin' here? [ There's no way Childe should be here. Jigokucho is gone, as far as he's concerned. ] Get goin'...

[narbrawl]

[Real. That was real. While the visions he's been having are convincing, he's somewhat learned to pick out the parts that are definitively there and Izō is one of them. So, while Childe's body language stays guarded, his expression softens just slightly. There's something strangely melancholic about the way the other man is just sat here, something that strikes him as lost.]

Same thing as you. [His stare flickers back up to the door as it opens again, lingering briefly on the faceless man before returning to Izō.] Where are we?

[Perhaps more importantly, why?]

[heretic_blade]

[ Always the obedient dog, he follows after -- he has to. He doesn't ignore Childe, though. ]

Kyō. [ Like that means anything to Childe. ] Did most'a my work here.

[ "Work" meaning assassinations in the name of divine punishment, of course. ]

Jus' doin' what I'm told to. Ain't smart enough for th' politics or anythin'...

[ Lonely. His usual pride and bluster are subdued. ]