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Chikusa ([personal profile] kokuyoyo) wrote in [community profile] thenearshore2018-05-19 11:21 am

[open] take it from me

Who: Chikusa Kakimoto and you
What: Staying at the Li Tieugai temple is becoming too annoying lately. Fortunately, Chikusa has plenty of things to investigate, from the library to the blighted spot.
When: Throughout the latter half of November
Where: Heaven's Library, the blighted area, other places
Warnings: Heavy violence in the Add thread, death (temporary)



A - Heaven's Library (constant)

The price of information, to Chikusa's great misfortune, always seems to be effort.

It explains why anyone visiting the Library throughout the month will seem to always eventually run into Chikusa if they're browsing around between the shelves long enough. On one hand, it's not particularly unusual. For months, now, Chikusa has been a constant presence within the library ever since the goblins which maintained it passed away due to that strange time warping event. Most of the time, however, he's been distant to anyone else that's been there with him, and not always looking for anything in particular. In fact, he seems to always be working in his unofficial capacity as one of the library workers there trying to keep it some idea of organized. (Which isn't always particularly successful...) Anyone who's seen him before in the library has likely seen him at work, staunchly ignoring all other shinki or gods, for the most part.

For the next few weeks, however, he's clearly searching for something. Instead of dully pushing around a cart full of books (or slumping against them in what is apparently extreme exhaustion from such an arduous task), he can be found carefully thumbing through the various titles before he organizes them. He can be found leaning against one bookcase with his eyes roaming the spines of book, taking in every title or lack of wording. Sometimes, he even reaches upwards, searching out what appears to be bits of loose paper or scraps that have somehow slipped on top of or inbetween books. Rarely does there seem to be anything worthwhile on the stray papers, judging by his quiet sighing, but occasionally he pauses to stare intently down on what seem to be random scribbles. Perhaps someone will even get to see him doing so.

....Alternatively, they may see him find what's apparently a blank piece of paper, take a pen out of his usual bag, and scribble something on it that's almost definitely rude before putting part of it underneath the strange door in the back of the library.

Fuck you, mysterious presence.

Other times, he's actually sitting down, a small stack of books around him. One is always open, his hand laid out against it to keep it that way, and he occupies his other hand with writing down what are apparently notes in a simple notebook. While Chikusa can be a little hard to read even on good days, he doesn't particularly seem pleased with what he's finding... or, perhaps, not finding.

While he's otherwise busy, he won't stop anyone from approaching him, and will even pause in the middle of what he's doing to level that dead eyed stare of his onto whoever has come near enough, whether they mean to interrupt him or not.

B - The Near Shore, the Blighted Zone

If the library won't give him the answers that he wants, then that means he really has no other choice but to go investigate himself... Well, by peering in on what exactly Heaven is doing in its own investigations on the area that became so badly blighted during the night of the God Meeting. After all, looking into the forest is clearly going to be a little harder.

For anyone else just passing through or perhaps even trying to look into things themselves, Chikusa's lanky figure is an easy one to spot, and not only because he tends to tower over other people even in a dead slouch. Rather, it's probably the shark finned beanie that he's wearing... It's not particularly subtle, but sometimes Chikusa rarely bothers to be. What has more of his attention is apparently ghosting throughout the neighborhood, pausing to take in a particular spot he can recall, or leaning against a wall to overhear what look like some of Heaven's shinki. With the amount of time he's spent in the Far Shore and his own skills of observation, he's learned to pick up familiar faces, after all.

C - The Near Shore, Asakusa

It's late at night. Why anyone would be out at such a time is a mystery that can only be answered by the individual themselves, but then, that's Asakusa for you. There are a lot of festivals held throughout the year in this place, and the amount of temples and other such things means that it's an enjoyable place for travelers of all sorts. Yet the recent ghost stories have apparently been creeping people out. In the dark streets, where various buildings and apartments have gone dark... The sound of footsteps echoing... going faster... and faster....

And bursting out of the doorway of a nearby building in the form of a frantic pair of shoes moving all by themselves, hastily dodging a borderline suddenly shooting out from inside the building. That sure is Chikusa, eyes sharp and his fingers still borderline ready.

Hopefully no one is in the way. That would be just horrible.
subtract: you lose your mind (I-0133)

[personal profile] subtract 2018-05-22 07:28 am (UTC)(link)
Honestly, at this point he can't even remember how much community service he was told to do. How many hours are left? Is he done already?? But bothering Suijin or one of her shinki about it sounds like it'd be even more of a headache... so, maybe he's just pretending to get back in their good graces now... or getting in some extra hours in advance for the next inevitable time he'll break reality...

Still, it's tedious and boring work, so he can't help but get distracted when he spies a cute looking cat on the side of the road. Add's raking slows to a halt as he stares. After several long seconds of this, he does a quick glance around him to make sure no one else is watching right now before turning back to the cat.

He definitely, absolutely wants to pet it.

Lowering his rake to the ground with Dynamo, he takes a few steps closer to the cat before crouching down, rubbing his fingers together in a beckoning motion. "Here, kitty kitty..."
subtract: you lose your mind (I-0098)

[personal profile] subtract 2018-05-24 05:55 am (UTC)(link)
Ah yes, the expected annoying cat routine. When it comes to cats, at least, Add is patient. He doesn't mind waiting for it to come to him. He remains in place, hand still held out to it...

The double tails is a bit odd, though. He's seen a couple cats like that around the Far Shore before... but it doesn't seem to be an especially important detail. Maybe it's some kind of spirit cat or whatever, but it's still a cat. Nothing suspicious here. He's not going to shun a perfectly good, fluffy, adorable cat for a petty reason like that.

If it comes just a little bit closer, he can pat it on the head...
subtract: you lose your mind (I-0066)

[personal profile] subtract 2018-05-24 06:36 pm (UTC)(link)
Yes.

He's going to pet the shit out of this cat, and he's going to do it with a big dorky smile on his face. Disaster will probably be mad at him later, but whatever. He'll deal with it.

Nothing could possibly ruin his day now that he's gotten to pet a cute cat.
subtract: you lose your mind (I-0134)

[personal profile] subtract 2018-05-25 05:56 am (UTC)(link)
Normal behaviour or not, he's still left hanging after barely getting a few seconds to appreciate the soft fluffiness of this cat. Add frowns, slightly annoyed.

Does it want something?? He checks his pockets, but he didn't bring any treats with him... (or Disaster ate them from the fourth dimension again, what a shit) His cat persuasion options are thus limited, so he stares back at the cat for a few moments before sighing and inching himself a bit closer.

Don't do this to him, cat. He just wants to love you...
subtract: you lose your mind (I-0175)

[personal profile] subtract 2018-05-27 12:24 am (UTC)(link)
He glares at the cat, clearly displeased with this turn of events. After another moment, though, he glances around again to make sure he's still alone (no one lurking around to judge him, check).

There's plenty of time to finish his tedious chores later. Volunteer hours are about the time spent and not the work done anyway, right?? So it's fine if he dicks around for awhile. He stands up straight, stretching.

"Alright, fine." You win his round, cat. But he will earn your love and affection...! He starts to follow after the cat, bending down to try to pet it again.
subtract: you lose your mind (I-0078)

[personal profile] subtract 2018-05-27 03:21 am (UTC)(link)
Again, the cat insists on being a tease. Fifteen seconds of soft, precious fluff is nowhere near enough to satisfy him. Add is forced to stand up, watching the cat curiously.

"Do you want something...?" It doesn't seem to be in any rush, but it sure is stopping and going a lot. Almost like it's trying to lead him somewhere. Like the person who owns it, or...

or a place with more cute split-tailed cats.

He considers the risks very seriously for about half a second, then starts following after the cat again. He doesn't stop to pet it this time, watching to see if it continues onward or if it's just fucking with him.
subtract: you lose your mind (I-0115)

[personal profile] subtract 2018-05-27 05:30 am (UTC)(link)
At some point, he can't help but worry he might be walking into danger. It hasn't been that long since the incident with the forest, after all, and as the trees around him grow thicker his machines draw closer to his to body. Perhaps a similar trap could be at work here. After the fireflies failed...

He looks back once, hesitating... but he has his Dynamo with him. A crackling flicker of electricity to remind him that he's at full power. Even if this was a trap, he hardly has anything to fear. He chuckles, brushing off his concerns before turning back to the cat.

He's being way too paranoid. This is just a normal forest, and it's not like he's being hypnotized. There's nothing to worry about.

He marches forward with confidence, ducking under a branch just as the cat suddenly leaps into a bush—

A noise, like darts whizzing through the air. The hairs on his neck stand up.

"Dynamo!" The noise is familiar, he realizes much later, but a fraction of a second is still enough time for him call up a defensive formation. Needles pang against metal as the barrier forms, falling harmlessly to the forest floor. Fucking Chikusa, that insufferable jackass

He can't pinpoint the source of the attack, so he spreads out his defence as far as he can. That turns out to be the correct choice—but it's a slower to activate at that size, against a small and fast-moving barrage. His barriers are designed to resist heavy impacts from larger enemies, not something as tiny as a needle. There are too many cracks for him to fill on such short notice.

At least 84% of the needles are blocked by the barrier. 3% bounce off his dynamos. 8% embed themselves in his armour, or clatter to the ground when they're unable to stick. And the last 5%...

A 95% defence rate is still pretty good, actually. He'll be impressed with his defence program later when he doesn't have several needles sticking out of his body.

He hisses through grit teeth, forcing himself to concentrate until the rain of needles runs out. Only when the forest falls quiet again does the purple force field start to waver, a hand reaching down to grip a needle buried deep in his side—a slit in his armour designed for flexibility, but the material underneath is only a little tougher than cotton. He pulls it out in one quick motion, blood starting to stain through not long after. Another is hastily pulled from his leg. There are others, he can feel them pricking into his skin, but he doesn't have time to dig out every single one. He whirls around, dynamos humming with a bright electric aura as he searches for his assailant.
subtract: you lose your mind (I-0081)

[personal profile] subtract 2018-05-29 08:35 am (UTC)(link)
The forest is still. Irritatingly so. His machines spark a little brighter, the array around him spreading out from their defensive formation to get a better reading of the area. If Chikusa is here, there's no way he'll stay hidden for long.

Picking out one energy signature in a place like this should be a snap, but his focus wavers. Something... isn't right. The bright sparks from his Dynamos are already starting to dwindle, a heavy sensation falling over him not unlike what that cursed forest had done before. Something is sapping his energy—he doesn't have to think hard to figure out the cause. Add turns in a tight circle, scanning the area with his eyes while he tries to pull his machines back into formation.

It takes far too long for him to finally pick up a trace and parse where it's coming from. The dim glow around him flares up for a moment, flashing with anger as he turns quickly on his heel. He wobbles a little at the sudden motion, taking a few extra seconds to steady himself. He still doesn't see anyone, but he knows something must be there.

"I'm not in the mood for your petty games, brat!" he snarls at the bushes, trying to arrange his machines back into position again. It's a little asymmetrical, but the ring in front of him should be a familiar formation. "Give yourself up now and maybe I'll consider ending this quickly! Or would you rather die slowly, pulled apart from the inside out?! Make up your mind before I do it for you!"
subtract: you lose your mind (I-0051)

[personal profile] subtract 2018-05-31 06:58 am (UTC)(link)
The initial thunks make him jump, another weak flash of sparks shooting off his weapons on reflex. If he pours his all into it, he can just barely charge enough power to fire off an attack... but now he's not so sure. Add hesitates, the ring in front of him slowly starting to lose its formation.

His vision is starting to swim, and it's becoming more and more obvious that whatever Chikusa hit him with works a hell of a lot faster than those chocolates did. If he attacks now he'll only get one shot, and in his current condition there's no guarantee he'd be able to hit the target. Doing so would also open him up to a counterattack. It's a bad decision no matter how he looks at it, and he probably ruined his chances even more with that outburst. As much as he hates letting this little shit get away...

Retreat is his best option. Save what's left of his dignity and—

He snaps back to attention when something crashes into the trees beside him—shit, how long did he just space out?! Add quickly turns to the direction of the noise, hastily forming a new barrier in front to cover him as he makes his escape plan.

His reaction time is way too slow. If the attack had been from that side, he would've just barely been able to block most of it. 84% was good, but now he'd be lucky to block even 70%.

If it had been from that side.

Instead, Add's back is left wide open to the spray of needles. It's already too late by the time he realizes his mistake. Much of the attack is still deflected by his armour, but there's nothing else to soften the blow or stop the needles from striking at his weak points. There's a sharp cry as he staggers forward, the energy around his dynamos evaporating in an instant.

He tilts forward after a moment of paralyzing pain, crashing into the ground along with his machines.
subtract: you lose your mind (I-0063)

[personal profile] subtract 2018-06-01 04:53 am (UTC)(link)
The dynamo spins in the air, managing to hover for a few seconds before losing momentum and crashing again. He still has some power left, but it's not much. Not something he can stand to waste by even a small amount.

Add doesn't answer immediately, digging his fingers into the dirt as he tries to regain some composure. The fall managed to drive some of the needles further into his body, and the pain of everything combined is quickly becoming too much for him to bear. His nerves are on fire. Probably punctured at least a couple vital organs with all those needles, too. Not that it probably matters since his biology has been a mess for years now. Pay no mind to the traces of black oozing out of his wounds, swirling patterns into the growing pools of blood like oil on water.

With a great deal of effort he gasps, forcing out words between strained breaths as he writhes uselessly on the ground: "Go to hell."

He needs to keep Chikusa distracted a little longer... if he can just gather power enough to open a portal into the void...

"What... do you want? Asshole."
subtract: you tried to change your life (I-0174)

[personal profile] subtract 2018-06-02 06:26 am (UTC)(link)
The foot is uncomfortable, but the one upside of being in extreme pain is that adding more to it doesn't really bother him that much. There's a quiet hiss through clenched teeth, but other than that Add doesn't show much reaction. He has to focus to keep still—moving only makes his injuries worse, and he needs to conserve as much energy as he can.

So Chikusa really does want to kill him this time. How annoying. He coughs out a hoarse laugh.

"Stupid. Wasting your time." They both know death is only temporary, so all Chikusa is really threatening is to maybe-possibly send Add somewhere else. But based on his own experiences with death— "Won't work. You're hardly... the first to try."

But it would be troublesome if he lost his memories, and he doesn't want to give Chikusa any satisfaction. Whatever the brat is messing with, he doesn't care right now. He can still get away...

A dynamo behind Chikusa flickers, shuddering weakly. The rain needles aren't strong enough to pierce through Dynamo's plating, so the reserve batteries should still be full... its just a matter of tapping into that power source before the poisoning becomes too much. Add closes his eyes, willing his way through the haze clouding his mind to draw a few of those sparks to himself.
subtract: you lose your mind (I-0080)

[personal profile] subtract 2018-06-11 07:09 am (UTC)(link)
The foot pushing against his skull is starting to give him a migraine. Chikusa says something, but he doesn't hear it. It takes all of Add's concentration to collect himself, to shut out all the distractions of his current predicament and focus solely on his Dynamo. Nothing else matters right now anyway. All he needs is a fraction of his power, enough to do something.

He exhales slowly. For moment, the machine begins to glow with a soft light...

Until something smashes into it. Add hisses again and flinches as if he'd been struck himself. There's a weak flash as the dynamo is knocked aside, clattering into the base of a tree. Chikusa might notice another weak static shock before the glow fades, the machine shuddering once more before going still.

But he got what he needed. A tenuous connection and a sliver of energy to use it... all he needs to do now is spring a portal open. Easy as pie, right?

His focus is disrupted again before he gets a chance to try. Something lands hard on his hand, then his head is yanked up from the ground uncomfortably—Add bites his lip, stubbornly refusing to give a reaction. He only barely feels his collar being pulled down. He's so close, if he can just pull through one more calculation—

A fresh wave of pain suddenly floods in. He chokes, body convulsing through the paralysis, unable to breathe for a second as he tries to process what's happening—it fucking hurts, like he's been stabbed through the neck, like he's really dying—

He panics. The adrenaline is enough, at least, for Add to push through the agony one last time. A soft blue light surrounds the space around them, fading with the faint sound of a ticking clock.
subtract: you lose your mind (I-0166)

[personal profile] subtract 2018-06-11 09:51 pm (UTC)(link)
It takes awhile for Add to settle down. The pain doesn't really stop, but it eventually reaches a plateau. His body hangs limply under Chikusa's grip, too exhausted now to make another move. It's tempting to just let himself drift into unconsciousness...

But he's still alive... which is a good thing, for now. His addled mind manages to make out just enough of Chikusa's words to get that he knows Add's trick. He probably doesn't know all of its limits, though... so he's likely bought himself some time. The Seal can only offer him protection for a couple minutes. That's how long he has to come up with a new plan.

A new plan... what plan? He used up what little strength he'd gained. Dynamo feels so far away from him now. What is there left that he can do?

There's a barely audible whimper as he's shoved back to the ground. His sleeves have a fair amount of plating on them, but it's not enough to do more than force Chikusa to put effort into his stomp. He doesn't have the energy left to squirm, but he starts to breathe harder as his bones start to creak.

"S...stop..."

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