thenearshore | [open] take it from me

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[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.

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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..."

Oh, so he can still speak? It's almost impressive, considering the kind of venom he'd had packed into those needles. Making it past any of his poisons, lethal or not, is impressive... But he's not particularly willing to give Add any credit right now. Not as he grinds his foot down against Add's arm.

"Why?" He raises his foot again, slamming down with another stomp. Not yet... "You didn't stop. And because of you... dragging others into dumb bickering... Someone more important than you'll ever be nearly died."

Another stomp, pressing his whole body down...

"So no."

Crack.

It sounds so good.

Something snaps, bones splintering beneath his flesh, more waves of pain and panic coursing through him. An all too familiar sensation. He's reminded of a girl's cruel smile, a roar through the wind that shakes him to his core. He chokes back another humiliating noise as he struggles to keep breathing, each breath more shallow than the last.

If he dies, he'll be right back where he started. What should he do? Should he try to reach out to Dynamo again? The connection feels too weak to even know where they are now. He can't move, he can barely even beg...

He's out of options. A dead end.

... he doesn't want to die, but there's nothing he can think of to solve this. Maybe passing out isn't such a bad idea after all.

With the sturdiness of armor and flesh finally overcome, Chikusa removes his foot, glancing over Add. If only he had more time... Carefully, he steps off of Add's hand as well. It'd be a satisfying thing, if he could drag Add into an abandoned building or temple, kill him so slowly it'd feel like an eternity... Make him feel the kind of despair Chikusa had, when he'd been forced to watch Ken's sickly body twist on the bed and all he could do was wait it out with him, keep him breathing, keep him alive....

Add won't live at the end of this. Chikusa is determined on that front.

Stepping around Add's body, he kneels down where his other hand lays limply against the ground. Will he even be conscious for this? He nudges the tip of his shoe underneath Add's fingers, pressing them up, back, towards the breaking point. This leaves his hands free to go back to his yoyo, fiddling with it again. Spraying it with that lineup of bullet ant venom got him all off track...

Chikusa probably has only about half a minute of fiddling time to do before the air around them starts to grow thick - a rolling fog flooding into the space between them, coalescing into undulating shapes. Hands rise from the mist to grasp at Chikusa's feet, solidifying into claws - and if he's been around, the accompanying feeling of dread might be very telling of its cause.

Ain's main body arrives a little later, but it doesn't quite matter - he is already here. A single visible eye lifts to appraise the person currently tormenting his friend. He's usually a person to sit out of conflicts such as these, but this is his god who has been pushed to the verge of death...

... so maybe it is appropriate to repay in kind.

Chikusa will get a moment of warning before a full dozen spears pop out in the space around him, converging on the space he occupies at alarming speed.

In all honesty, all he needs is the arrival of that sudden fog before he's starting to move, and the claws tear through the bottom of his pants as he jerks away from Add. In the back of his head, he's livid that he's been denied the opportunity to really punish Add as he deserves. That's in the far back, however. Right now, all of his attention is on the actual body, the source of all this revolting fog, and his brain rushes to figure out a course of action.

Well, there's only one route, isn't there? Yoyo hidden away again, he slots the ring on his finger into the box hidden away in his hoodie pocket. A rush of blue energy whirls out, swirling protectively about him before forming into a brilliant white owl. Blue flames still burn brightly from it, and it gives a flap of its wings, a rush of air whirling forth. Hopefully the tranquility factor of the action will force things into slowing down.... Or at least the owl will.

Because Chikusa is already making a bolt through the trees to escape. It's fine, he tries to tell himself. So long as he can escape, it's fine.

The poisons and blood loss will hopefully take care of him.

In the wake of Ain's arrival comes a second presence. In contrast, there is nothing to herald Roxas' appearance but a curious flurry of faded green zeroes and ones that whirl about in the air, coalescing into a black-clad figure Chikusa might recognize. Lacking Ain's ability to detect exact locations, he can only seek out concentrations of darkness.

And where he recognizes those of Ain and Add, it's a third that he hones in on. If he were to try and place a word to it, malice might be what characterizes this darkness, but Roxas holds no illusions that he understands emotions as others do.

But he knows Add's attacker for what he is as he appears directly in the fleeing figure's path, throwing a hand up without hesitation. "Light," he calls flatly, and in answer, luminous pillars of energy come crashing down around them.

With Ain there, he knows Add will be safe.

Roxas doesn't need to understand what smoulders inside him at the sight of Add's wounded body and fallen dynamos, what aches within his chest and burns under his skin. He knows exactly what to do with it. He doesn't care who hurt Add or why they did - he won't stand for it.

A shadowy fog starts to roll in around him, and for a minute Add is certain he's dying. With his body at its limit, the calming emptiness of the void would be welcome at this point... ah, but it wouldn't matter anyway, since he'd just come back to life... and then Chikusa would have all the more reason to keep dragging things out...

... something isn't right, though. He blearily forces open an eye, only vaguely aware of the chaos around him. Spikes of darkness piercing the ground in front of him, and beams of light shining further ahead. An echo of fervent emotion burns in his chest. Chikusa is... gone? Slowly, he tries to piece together the situation.

"... Ain...?" His voice is weak, but he's still breathing, if just barely. If he's not dead, then it must be Ain's aura. So... he's been rescued, just in time.

He falls quiet for a moment, straining himself to reach for Dynamo's connection. There's still... just a bit of time left. But he doesn't have long to act.

"Need... a favour..."

The spears converge upon Chikusa's owl, ripping it to shreds in a single instant. He does not go after Chikusa, because Roxas is there to pick up the pace - there's a more important task he must attend to.

Ain floats down to a crouching position, the mist retreating to cluster around him. Soft tendrils sprout forth from the fog, circling Add protectively like a half-formed cocoon.

"Tell me..."

Is it time? It might be, given how much pain Add is currently in.

When it rains, it pours, doesn't it? Chikusa breaks to a stop when the hooded figure suddenly appears in front of him, foot digging into the earth from instinct to propel himself to the side. Just in time, too, apparently, considering the beam of light which crashes down. Mukurou is gone too-

But that's fine. Mukurou isn't a real owl anyways.

Another pump of flame from his ring into the box, and yet another burst of blue flame swirls out, but this time it doesn't go back towards Ain. Instead, it swirls around Chikusa, Mukurou's owl body twisting around the beams and leaving a trail of water in its stead. The bird is no small amount of enraged from how it was dispatched, shown with its screeching, but Chikusa doesn't care about that. All he cares about is the miniature tsunami that the bird creates, every bit of water meant to drain energy and slow things down....

And, with all the water being flung around whether in droplets or in sheets, a perfect cover for him for him to escape. He knows where the nearest shrines are, after all. He can get out of here, if he's just quick enough....

The void's embrace is soothing. It'd be easy to fall asleep like this, to stop caring and allow his mind to fade out peacefully...

But there's no guarantees in that. It's probably the sedatives talking. He forces himself to take another laboured breath, wasting precious seconds as he tries to form more words.

"Quickly..." Each word is more strained than the last. He doesn't have a of them left. What's the most concise way to put this...? "Need to... die. Quickly."

He has less than a minute before his condition is permanent. Hopefully whatever Ain decides to do won't be some weird Void nonsense that can override the Seal program... but he doesn't have the luxury of giving a proper explanation right now.

There's a bit of confusion in his remaining eye, but it soon turns to understanding. What a strange request... but it's not one that he would deny, given the circumstance. Perhaps it really was for the best.

Instead of answering, he would cover Add's eyes with a sliver of shadow, so he doesn't have to be conscious of the pain. A second later, a cluster of thorns sprout from the centre of his neck, splintering in a spray of red and black.

If there's one thing Ain is good at, it's killing people quickly.

Roxas pauses only momentarily as a wall of water appears in front of him. It's an instant and then he vanishes from sight, only to reappear in the path of whoever attacked Add once again in another whirling mess of zeroes and ones. Teleportation might not serve him well at all in Henir's temple, but in a situation like this, it comes more naturally than walking.

His weapon appears in his grasp in a plume of black smoke automatically, something resembling a giant skeleton key. And he seems intent to strike, shifting his weight and swinging, but once again he hits water. His weapon sticks, hanging there sluggishly before vanishing and appearing once again in his waiting hand.

Once more he raises his weapon...

Only to disappear altogether. Seems like it's a lucky break for the hooded figure he was pursuing, because something else has caught his attention. Or rather, it's the lack of something. Add's roiling darkness, and his frail light vanishes from his senses. He reappears beside Ain just in time for an unceremonious spray of blood to spatter his coat. There lies Add's broken body, and it seems to him that something inside him is collapsing inward under some invisible force.

He doesn't know what to call it, but it hurts, and his grip on his strange weapon slacks. It vanishes in a puff of shadow, and Roxas lifts his hand to his chest. For some reason, he expects it to have caved in, and yet there is nothing physically different.

"Why?" He asks, unaware that he is even speaking, voice strange and brittle.

Edited 2018-06-17 18:50 (UTC)

Ah, Roxas is here.

His hollow gaze lifts to appraise the youth standing before him. Roxas has no face, but that empty tone is familiar. It stirs up something odd in the hollow where his heart should be - the echo of a memory no longer there.

"It was his wish."

Far be it from him to deny Add what he wanted. What he planned. Because everything reaches the end, eventually.

(He was in too much pain. People who suffer.... should be put out of their misery.)

But the matter isn't resolved, is it? There still remains the fact that the assailant is gone.

Add's body is still and lifeless. It's not quite decapitation, but severing the spinal cord is enough. His dynamos, scattered out of range as they may be, shudder with an eerie glow at the moment his life is ended.

... but it doesn't stay ended for long. As the black thorns disperse, Add's body flickers with a faint blue glow. There's a flash of light and—

Add gasps for breath, writhing weakly on the ground as he regains his bearings. His neck is healed, as are the broken bones—but he's still stuck with dozens of needles, and the poisoning is only marginally better right now. It'll only get worse again if it's left untreated...

He's bought himself some more time, so he can't let it go to waste. It's difficult to speak through the lingering sensation of an impaled throat, but he has to say something before Ain decides he didn't do the job right.

"I'm fine." He's absolutely not, but please don't kill him again. "Ch...Chikusa. Set a trap. Poisons. N...need help."

— Add is alive. Most curious; and not something he understands immediately, but that can be addressed later. He's back to being in pain, and that is more important.

"From who?"

Who should they call? Possibly not Sakura, but he doesn't have anyone else in mind.

Roxas jolts when Add revives, nearly bumping into Ain in the process. He hasn't the first idea of what happens when a deity perishes, but it takes him a good, long moment for his shock to be softened by relief. It doesn't change the fact that he had failed to protect him, but Add is still here.

And he still needs help.

He doesn't know how to mend damage, or even if he's capable of such a thing. Had he met anyone who could do that? Even if the possibility to help Add exists, he may be helpless to do anything about it. Hidden within the shadows of his hood, Roxas grits his teeth. His hands ball into fists at his sides, uneasiness settling into his bones. What can they do?

"I'll see if I can find someone," he suggests at last, vanishing from sight.

It doesn't take him very long to find that there is no one he recognizes nearby, and no one he can ask for assistance. Safely distanced from the others he calls his strange weapon, striking a nearby tree once, and then again. And again. It does nothing to fix anything, and he knows that, but he seems powerless to help. In that moment his phone rings, prompting him to pat down his pockets with his free hand to retrieve it. "...Hello?"

A short time later, Roxas returns to where Ain and Add remain, dusting leaves from his coat. Pay it no mind. "Hakkai is coming. He said there's an antidote."

It's a few more minutes before Hakkai appears, flicking into view a hundred paces away. He turns, breaking into a jog that only slows once he's within easy conversational distance, and pulls out a cloth kit. Inside, a vial and syringe occupy one side, and a small bag full of black powder the other.

"Here," he says, and glances from one to the other of Add's shinki. "This should strengthen him and counteract the effects of the poison. Chikusa is mixing a specific antidote now."

And -- he hopes -- it will be enough. His tone is brisk but neutral, but when he casts a glance down at Add, a frown flickers briefly over his face.

From who? Sakura is the first to come to mind as well... her shinki, Tsuzuki, was able to cleanse the poison last time. He can't say for sure if this disgusting mix is within his capabilities, but it's the only option he can come up with...

Roxas vanishes before he can muster the strength to speak again, though. He'll look for help... perhaps Roxas knows someone...? But, Add can't really be sure, and he knows he won't get a third shot at this. He tries to move again, reaching for some shadowy scrap of Ain to draw his attention.

"Needles..." He's still covered in them, lodged in the cracks of his armour. It's a good place to start. He takes another moment to collect himself, fighting the exhaustion and sickness that's slowing him down. "Sakura... might be able to..."

He's interrupted by Roxas' return, along with a surprising statement. Hakkai? It takes a long time for Add to process that thought. Hakkai is coming? God of medicine or not, he's the last person Add would expect to come to his rescue from something his own shinki started. His confusion is only magnified when Hakkai show sup and says Chikusa is making the antidote.

"Hell no." He forces out the annoyed words with a surprising degree of vigor. Suddenly filled with a spiteful rush of adrenaline, he tries (and fails) to sit himself upright. "Not... if he makes it... probably... m-more poisons."

Fuck Chikusa, seriously. Why the hell should he trust anything coming from him?

"...I think Hakkai doesn't want us to hurt his shinki for hurting you." Roxas waves one hand in Ain's direction as indication, casually nudging Add to lie back down with the other. Hakkai had more or less expressed it himself, and Chikusa had fled rather than attempting to engage both him and Ain. While that water had presented an obstacle, it isn't anything that he and Ain couldn't easily circumvent.

And surely at this point, Chikusa must know that as well as the two of them do. Whether he told Hakkai something to give him the impression that Add's shinki were a threat, he has no way of knowing. But the reasoning he gave, and what he wanted in return, suggest that he does have some awareness of what they can do.

"If you're afraid, he can try it on me first...I don't mind." Roxas doesn't hesitate in making such an offer, nor does he want to see Add suffer more than he already has. The thought burns him, as does his failure to protect him as he'd promised. "But you can't stay like this."

He taps Add's chest with one finger, as some odd point of emphasis.

Edited (rain of edits sorry inboxes...) 2018-07-20 06:20 (UTC)

Hakkai, with a flat expression, opens the bag of black powder, taps a fingernail-sized pile onto his palm, and tips it into his mouth. Its taste is mild, faintly burnt and sooty. He holds the bag out to Roxas.

"There," he says, flatly. "I have no interest in a blood feud. I don't think you want me to inject myself, with only one needle, but do what you wish to ensure it's safe as well.

"I'd recommend not waiting too long."

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[open] take it from me

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cw: gore mention

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