[ SEMI-CLOSED ] with your demons and mine, i've been yours from the start

[kaientai]

Who ⬤ Sakamoto Ryouma + various
What ⬤ A horrible time to have a curse + some fun in the sun
When ⬤ June~
Where ⬤ All over!
Content Warnings ⬤ It's raining blood! Violence! Corruption! The baseline assumption here is that a lot will come up but I will specifically content warn for anything particularly noteworthy that wouldn't fall under the horror umbrella of the event itself. Beach-related prompts probably involve alcohol, stupidity, and assorted shenanigans. Will also warn accordingly!

[ ooc; if you'd like a custom starter and wanna plot something out, hmu @ koutenko or pm this journal! ]

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⚡ hizen

[kaientai]

[ ryouma has been out here for a long time. how long...? he's not sure anymore. there's no way to disguise the fact that he's been soaked through by the rain and it looks every bit as horrible as it sounds. he still has the gun in his hand but by now the bullets are all spent. izō was the first. there have been others but he isn't sure if they were real or not.

hizen would be another, but the gun just clicks uselessly when he tries to shoot at him, wild-eyed. everyone looks like a threat to him right now, like all the vengeful dead that won't quit chasing him, out for blood and revenge. the shadows ripple and coil around him strangely, but everything seems especially ominous under these conditions. maybe it's just a trick of the light... ]

[harimaya]

( With one precious person taken care of, Hizen sets out to find the best to drag out of hell. He’s gotten a lead from Izo about who to look out for next and he keeps his eyes open for an all too familiar figure.

His feet splash as he runs through the streets. He ignores the intense feelings of despair and the taunting whispers to just give in So things can be different. He won’t fall for it. He’s stronger than his temptations right now because he has a goal.

When he spots Ryouma with his gun, he freezes. He can hear that guys voice laughing cheerfully that a sword is no match for a gun and he’s already been shot once in this stupid city. He grabs his sword tightly and growls, )

Ryouma.

( It’s a warning. His eyes are focused, a bright red burning with purpose. He isn’t going to let Ryouma go. )

[kaientai]

[ ryouma's not laughing right now, at least, because he fears for his life... so there's that? it's part of "her" tactic to let him suffer and twist in the wind until the fear dominates his mind again. it's working. ]

Get away! I ain't afraid t' shoot every last one of ya!

[ and whatever he's seeing? clearly, more than just hizen. although, given a few moments longer, hizen can see them too — the bloody corpses of fallen friends and comrades milling about, trying to crowd him and make him pay. ]

[harimaya]

(So he's going to aim it at him, too. He stands his ground and considers his options. He could back off, let Ryouma go and let him get worse and do whatever damage. Nah, that was never an option. No matter how much he avoids Ryouma and bullies him, he wouldn't leave him on his own. They are, for better or worse, connected by their stories.

He doesn't know that the gun is out of bullets but he knows he's been shot once before and that was before he had his true form back. It'll hurt like hell but he'll survive. Yes, he thinks his decision is made. He just needs to figure out his approach next.

Is this what Ryouma sees? It makes sense. The Ryouma he knew had been haunted by memories, too.)

You're a real pain in the ass, y'know that?!

(And he charges directly for Ryouma. It's careless and bold, a straight line right for him. Sometimes the safest way to get through fire is to go through it instead of around it.

He doesn't care about the manifestations. He doesn't even acknowledge them as real beings. They're just phantoms. He's dealt with those, too.)

[kaientai]

[ it's not getting shot hizen has to worry about, at least. ryouma definitely tries to shoot but there are no bullets left to fire, so once again the gun just clicks uselessly as if to mock him. he can draw his sword but his hands are shaking and he can't get rid of the persistent worry that somehow that's not going to work. there was a time, when he was alive, that that might've been true. it's probably not much of a surprise that his wires would get crossed in the midst of all this.

what does pose more of an immediate threat are the swirling shadows that only become more turbulent around him as hizen gets closer. a dark shape seems to cling to ryouma's back, arms loosely draped around his neck, the inhuman qualities about "her" possibly making it difficult to realise that it's a woman at first. she is apparently a calming influence as ryouma settles down just having her there, but monstrous glowing eyes glare across at hizen from behind ryouma's shoulder. ]

If ya wanna kill me, you're gonna have t' go through the both of us.

[harimaya]

(Abort, abort, abort. He grinds to a total stop, stumbling forward one, two, three steps before he shifts into a completely different position, his hand instinctively reaching for his sword. His hand hovers over it anxiously and he glares right back at those glowing eyes.)

What the hell is that?

(What's haunting Ryouma? He doesn't know but he feels like... this is the boss, isn't it? The real threat at the end of everything else he has to get through.)

[kaientai]

Ah, that's right. You wouldn't know Oryou-san, would you?

[ because this is perfectly normal. he's just introducing someone to his wife who is definitely not part of the horrible curse manifesting itself as a snake monster formed out of ryouma's fondest memories. clinging to him like a parasite because he's almost inviting it to happen; it's been a miserable, lonely time in hell.

normally they would be distinctly two separate entities — at least in physical form — but it's difficult to tell where one ends and the other begins. far from the terror in his expression earlier, he looks aside at her fondly. ]

We've been separated for so long. I missed her so much! Still, I never doubted that we'd find each other again.

[harimaya]

Oryou--

(It's not that he doesn't know the name. He just doesn't have a strong connection to it like he does for others. Still, he's at least aware enough of who he's talking about and growls. )

Get a grip. She isn't real.

(Direct, to the point.)

[kaientai]

Ah. Pretty rude, ain'tcha?

[ he's not hearing it. she's as real to him as the genuine article. probably because the curse is affecting what he's made of, connecting in the same way and replacing the void where the real oryou should be with something. right now, it's enough. the absence of that pain is plenty to disguise what would feel wrong if he were in his right mind. ]

Show a little respect.

⚡ kate

[kaientai]

[ ryouma should have listened to the order to retreat but he never listens. he's a lieutenant now, for what that's worth, and to ryouma that means responsibility. he has to take care of his people. the daitengu is holding down the fort at konoha, so it falls to people like him to get others to safety on the streets. faction doesn't matter to him any more than the curse. if someone's in need, who they work for is the last thing on his mind.

unfortunately, ryouma is hardly immune himself, so he's barely holding it together, stumbling in and out of moments of lucidity. at least in this moment it's not so bad, which is a good thing since ryouma recognises kate. ]

Ya need to get t' somewhere safe right away!

[ do as he says, not as he does. ]

[bratherine]

( She shouldn't still be out here, that much she knows. But the hallucinations have already tried their bullshit and she's learned the lesson most important to her survival in these darkened streets:

Stay away from the walls. Away from the corners. Away from anything that can leave her trapped and caught.

So it's fine. It's fucking fine. She can handle the blood rain, the whispers following her (mostly Grace's voice, but sometimes others crop up, always with the same message: useless, broken little girl). What she can't handle is the idea of sitting idle and letting her thoughts consume her.

Which is why she's out and about, half-stubborn, half-trying to be anything but useless in this moment, looking for anyone who might need to be snapped out of their delusions. Not like she's good at that, but it's better than thinking about her own.

And then there's a familiar voice, and face, right in front of her. )

Speak for yourself.

( Holy shit, Ryouma, you look like crap. Does she look that bad? Probably. God knows it feels like every inch of her clothes have been soaked in blood by now, and there's still a stiffness in her shoulders, a twitch in her hands, and the painful ache of her jaw and teeth where she's gritted them too hard for too long to block out those whispers. )

How long you been out here?

[kaientai]

I've gotta job to do.

[ which doesn't answer the question, but kate can probably glean from the overall picture that it's been long enough for the problem to be more than surface level, although ryouma will maintain there isn't one. it's just difficult to see what's what under the blood he's covered in, else it might be more obvious. he can't hide the way his eyes look though, since they aren't usually such a bright shade of gold that they seem to glow. never mind the cat-like quality they never had before. nothing to worry about! ]

Y' even got a weapon on ya?

[ he's not thinking straight to begin with, so minding his accent goes right out the window. however that translates, it's different. he sounds like izō. ]

[bratherine]

( Yeah. There's a whole lot wrong here, she can see that even through all this fucking blood. Her eyes narrow, lips thinning, the taste of blood seeping into her mouth again as she takes a step closer.

Ugh. She fucking hates this. )

Aye. ( She doesn't take it out, but there's a knife in her bag, and there has been one since a few days after he took her to the clinic. Insurance for a place where shit like this happens.

Admittedly, it's not exactly been effective for dealing with her current problems, but it feels better to know that weight is there. )

Jobs make you take breaks.

( What is it that's so familiar about his voice right now? It's not the same voice she's used to hearing from his mouth, but it feels so familiar nonetheless. Like she's heard that accent somewhere before.

(At least that puzzle is a nice distraction from those continuing, whispered taunts —bet your parents are so proud, Kat!) )

[kaientai]

Ain't that kinda job. Anyway, it's up to me. I gotta save 'em this time...

[ he doesn't believe in taking breaks, especially now. that's probably one reason he ended up in this mess. things always get in your head worse when you're sleep-deprived.

never mind where he's developing a saviour complex over this. in his defence: he's not thinking right. ]

The 'bullshit' got a major upgrade, like it or not, so y' really don't wanna be here. We'll walk ya back.

[ yes, we. ]

[bratherine]

( She knows it was a lame retort, but this whole thing is unnerving and Ryouma doesn't look like himself. Doesn't act like himself. Or at least, not like the version of himself Kate's come to know.

But she's not exactly wrong. No one's getting saved if he's out here losing it instead of resting.

Shame she doesn't think of that point before certain phrasing distracts from the argument of whether he should be out here (and no, it's not a question of whether she should be. She's fine. Those whispers, the exhaustion and fraying of her edges, are just inconveniences). )

Who's we?

( Dude. There's no one else here. )

[kaientai]

Me and Oryou-san.

[ "she" appears as if on cue, leaning on his shoulders. she might've just climbed right out of his back for all that there had never anyone else there a minute ago. ryouma looks perfectly content about this development. ]

We were separated when I got here. I finally found her!

[bratherine]

( Her eyes narrow. This is clearly supposed to be a happy thing for Ryouma, but isn't it just too convenient in the middle of this rain?

And where the hell was she hiding anyway?

Kate takes another step closer, the sight of this stranger a convenient distraction from the voices following her. Her hand curls around the zipper of her bag. Just in case. Because there are threats here, everywhere. Whether this Oryou is or not, there are still other things out here.

Like the shadow that licks at her ankle as she moves. )

When'd she get here?

( Should you address a possible-hallucination directly? Kate would rather not chance it. )

⚡ emily

[kaientai]

[ ryouma has taken every precaution to get to the clinic and keep the rain off; he's taking that, at least, very seriously after everything that's happened. he's made it here in one piece and in his own right mind so he can consider that a win, but ryouma is presenting a very different image today than he usually does. he's not risking ruining any more clothes, so he's a very casual ryouma today! if only the circumstances were better for the fun summer clothes he bought in anticipation of the party that has now gone to shit.

ryouma has had to improvise since he can't reliably carry an umbrella right now, but he's managed to make due between a raincoat and a plastic tarp he's been dragging around for blocks.

he'll just sit in the doorway for a minute and catch his breath because he ran here. ]

[medicative]

[the youkai at the front desk comes to see him, tutting in concern but guiding him in so that he can wait for the doctor. Emily appears soon enough - she looks a little weary, but smiles and ushers him towards the exam room.]

What's brought you in today, Mr. Sakamoto?

[despite her own internal misgivings, how she very nearly asked Aerith to take over this for her, she has to recall her oath. that her personal bias cannot affect people getting the help they need, even as she longs to speak with harsh words, to demand answers. no. it would go against the very foundations of this place.]

[kaientai]

I had some questions about that incense... mostly because I promised Musashi that I would get to Konoha and do my job.

[ he always looks tired but it's worse when he can't just excuse it as poor lighting. the effects the curse has been having are visible — he looks like someone who has been dying a slow death — and the time ryouma has spent stubbornly staying in an unwarded building hasn't helped.

just hearing her speak has already made him awkward and he looks down at the floor. he forgot about his hands. he's not thinking about that anymore. ]

And I wanted to ask... if you might've seen Izō...

[medicative]

[her eyes close for half a second when he says that name, to calm the swirling tide of emotion in her.]

...No. He's still missing. We're still looking for him.

["we", she says, as if she is part of the search. as if she isn't here, wasting time, beholden to her patients instead of figuring out what to do. if there were two of her - no, if she figured out some way to get her hands on more time, she could do something. be somewhere. no matter where she went, she was letting someone down by it, and she's just constantly scrambling to pick up the pieces.

i'm sorry. i'm so sorry. she will never be able to say it enough, if he comes back to them.]

But you may ask your questions. I've actually already given some of the incense to Konoha to bolster the Daitengu's own protection.

[kaientai]

Oh. [ ryouma looks like he's been struck. for some reason, he had thought that by now something might have changed. ] I—... I see.

[ he's supposed to have questions, right? he's supposed to be doing something about this. in his own way, he's also been frustrated with how little he can do compared to what he'd like to do. he would be out searching himself if he thought it would do anything but drive izō further away. that's assuming izō is even alive, because nothing ryouma's encountered so far has even suggested that to be the case. there is also the greater problem where he's a danger to himself and others when he's outside, but that's why he's come here. he has to focus. ]

I need to know if it'll stop or reverse what's been happening to me or if you know of something that will. [ so about this, he'll be direct. ] I won't go there like this if not. It's not worth it.

[medicative]

What has been happening to you? I can hardly treat a condition if I don't know what I'm facing.

[the tone is gentle, but firm. as far as she knows, he's suffering the same as the rest, but perhaps a little more intensely. right now, what she sees in front of her needs the incense as well as a good session of rest - and she says that as a workaholic herself.]

[kaientai]

It's more complicated than it needs to be, but I'm what's called a Servant. This form is made of magic, so it's susceptible to magical... influence.

[ corruption, is what it is, but it's hard to say so. ]

[medicative]

So, things like the curse's presence. I have to admit, I'm accustomed to treating physical forms, but there's no harm if I light the incense now and see if it offers you any relief.

[and speaking of, she has some in the room, so all it takes is using a lighter to start it up again. it's made to address a problem on multiple levels - Emily's herbalism to soothe the body and soul, addressing physical effects of frenzy and focusing the mind. Aerith's holy powers, to dispel cursed presence, to offer an area of sanctuary. Shylock's smoke magic, to rid the place of illusions, to carry the rest into the air and solidify reality.

even if it doesn't cure him, it smells nice.]