thenearshore | (no subject)

[ Gojyo's gaze snaps to Hakkai's face, and he almost -- almost -- says no. No, don't go. Stay.

But that's silly. That's worse than silly, that's cowardly. He nods instead, but he's unable to look away. ]

Where's Goku? [ He got these names all over his body to keep track of the people who were the most important to him, and all Ayumu's did was let him know for sure when she was dead. It was a stupid idea, the names. He should have made them all live together.

He should have made them all move out of heaven. ] Is he here? Is he okay?

He's been staying here. [Gojyo's eyes are on him with barely-hidden panic, as if Hakkai will disappear the moment he leaves the room; Hakkai reaches out, catches his hand, and squeezes it.

He knows the lost panic that comes in the immediate aftermath of a god's disappearance: a god and a friend, in this case, which is worse. Gojyo doesn't have enough of his friends left.]

He and I just spoke. He's okay.

[But he still needs the first-aid kit. He releases Gojyo's hand, getting to his feet, and hurries next door to collect it. It won't take long, and he can text Goku that they're back while he looks.]

[Moments after Hakkai is gone, Gojyo will probably hear someone quietly approaching again. If he'd hoped Hakkai was just that fast, he'll be disappointed to see Ken peering into the room.

The expression on his face...certainly isn't welcoming, but it's not aggressive, either. 'Wary' might be a better word, or perhaps 'reluctant'. He seems to want to be here about as much as Gojyo likely wants him to be here.

He moves into the room and crouches down to the side of the door, keeping his distance from Gojyo. He seems to have settled in to wait for something - Hakkai's return, probably.

He shows no inclination to speak to Gojyo, and in fact seems to be avoiding even making eye contact.]

[And, of course, where one half is, the other half isn't far behind.]

[Chikusa is even quieter than his partner is, with hardly even footsteps to alert his presence. Rather, he just appears, barely, around the doorframe- enough to be visible but not enough to actually be in the room itself. He's very clearly keeping an eye on Ken, first and foremost... and Hakkai too, when he shows up.]

[Just like his partner, he doesn't even bother to make eye contact with Gojyo either.]

[ And there's one doorway blocked. If nothing else, the presence of Gojyo's least two favorite people in the world (that's a lie -- Chikusa's in the top five, and that's as high as they go) helps Gojyo remember to keep his shit together. He'll let Hakkai see just how frantic he is over this loss, and the threat of losing Hakkai and Goku. Chikusa and Ken? They get a blank stare, as he waits for Hakkai to return. ]

[Hakkai pauses, first aid kit in hand, as he steps back out into the hallway to see Chikusa lingering in the doorway of the front room.]

... Excuse me, Chikusa.

[He's not telling him to leave, though; the request is a polite little murmur, and he's turning to the side to edge through the door around him and head over to Gojyo and the couch. Ken's inside already: that's enough explanation for why Chikusa's here, he thinks, and nods to Ken, too.

To Gojyo, he continues as though the teenagers weren't lurking suspiciously in the back of the room.]

I'm going to cut these bandages off to see how well they've actually treated your wound. It's not a good place for it.

["Stabbed in the stomach" could have ended much more badly than with a half-sedated and bandaged-up Gojyo, but just because they'd avoided any blood vessels big enough to be immediately fatal didn't mean that nothing important was damaged.]

[Ken perks up - and pipes up - almost as soon as Hakkai enters the room.] I can help heal him if you want, Hakkai-sama. [That's what he came here for in the first place.]

[Chikusa, at least, is obedient enough, shifting out of Hakkai's way before going right back into place. He understands he's not being shooed away, and he's not inclined to argue with his god either. He's just here to watch over the proceedings, and make sure nothing bad will happen.]

[Besides Gojyo being here at all, anyway.]

[Ken's offer has him speak up, for once.]

Let him...

[Ken wants to be useful, after all. He needs to be. Hopefully Hakkai understands that much by now.]

[ Is there any good place to get stabbed? With a nod, Gojyo leans back, arms to the sides, giving Hakkai room to work. He wasn't very aware during the actual patching up process earlier... his memory of those minutes (hours?) between being stabbed and being led out to where Hakkai was waiting are pretty blurry. They held him down, they gave him something to drink, they pressed a gauze pad against his side hard enough that he saw spots. That's about it.

And now Ken wants to heal him. Ken, of all people. The idea of having Ken's energy moving through him the way Hakkai's has makes Gojyo's stomach turn -- the last thing he wants is to feel Essence of Ken swirling around in his guts -- but Ken loved Ayumu too. Does Ken want to do this for Ayumu? Gojyo's drugged brains swirl that idea around for awhile. ]

I didn't stab anyone. [ Wait, is that true? ] I don't think I stabbed anyone.

["Not the torso" is better, but stabbing of any type isn't good. Hakkai pauses, blinking at Ken, at his offer.

Slowly, he nods.]

All right. -- If it's all right with you, Gojyo? It's his ability as a shinki.

And you didn't stab anyone. Amaterasu said her shinki weren't hurt.

[They certainly had managed to hurt Gojyo. Hakkai turns his attention to the bandages again, the cool metal of the scissors brushing Gojyo's skin as he slides one blade under the gauze and begins to cut it away. He's staying carefully clear of the injury itself.]

[Ken moves closer to Hakkai - and Gojyo, as consequence - and settles into a waiting crouch just behind Hakkai. He seems to have a preference for being low to the ground, if not on all fours, especially in situations where he's not entirely sure of himself.]

You gotta make me a dog, Hakkai-sama. [Of course, Hakkai is probably just holding off on that to get Gojyo's consent first.

The good news is, Gojyo, that Ken's method of healing will be nothing whatsoever like Hakkai's. Ken won't be using any energy of his own; rather, his proximity will simply stimulate Gojyo's own body to heal any injuries at a greatly accelerated rate. (It might also grow his nails and hair, as a side effect.)]

[In the space Ken has moved from, Chikusa moves into, although at least he doesn't draw into a crouch. Instead, he leans against the wall, watching the group carefully. Gojyo had to have heard Ken's suggestion... So is he just ignoring him, or will he actually give his consent?]

[He really has no idea. All he can do is what he told Hakkai, and be quiet.]

[ When Ken crouches like that, he definitely looks -- or feels, maybe it's a feeling more than an image? -- like a dog. More than that, he feels like a dog crouching and ready to attack.

It's not comforting, is what Gojyo means. It feels like being trapped.

But Hakkai said yes, and Gojyo doesn't know how to say no when Hakkai's already said yes. If he says no, then Hakkai will be mad. He can't say no. ]

Okay.

[Someone's nervous; Hakkai can't tell who. Ken, Gojyo-- it's probably not Chikusa, at least. But Gojyo's agreed, and Ken's fallen into his unsure crouch next to Hakkai, as if he's half dog already. Hakkai stretches a hand out to him.]

Come, Kenki.

[That done, he looks back down at the bandages, and cuts. Bloodied gauze falls neatly away, and Hakkai's mouth presses flat as he gets a better look at the wound. It had, indeed, been covered and bandaged, but it's deep, and not stitched.]

[Ken promptly shifts into his vessel form, where his demeanor will become (perhaps) more easily readable to Gojyo. Instead of crouched down, as a dog he's laying flat on the floor, head between his paws, looking more like a dog at the vet than anything else. His eyes are following Gojyo and Hakkai's every movement, but otherwise he's entirely still.

His healing influence will be felt almost immediately; there's no actual sensation of his power itself, but its effects on Gojyo make themselves known as the seconds pass. The pain from his wound will gradually lessen as his skin starts knitting itself back together, the freshness of the wound fading. Essentially, Gojyo's own healing process is being put on fast forward. Hakkai will be gratified to see the wound becoming slowly less serious as he watches.]

[This is about the point when Goku comes running into the room, bumping into Chikusa as he rushes through the doorway, instinctively jumps over the dog on the floor (there are so many animals in this temple, Goku can't be expected to keep track of how many) and skids to a stop next to the couch.]

Gojyo!

[Okay, Gojyo, check. Hakkai, check. Gojyo's injuries looking not obviously serious, check. No more murderous energy in the room than should be expected, considering both Hakkai and Chikusa are in it, check. All right, that's fine then. ]

What the hell! Why'd you go off on your own?

[ It's... it's not terrible. In fact, it's kinda nice. He doesn't feel Ken's energy at all, which is surprising -- Gojyo holds his breath, tensed, waiting for the flood of dog breath and sharp claws, but all that happens is that his side feels, well. Itchy. Itchy, like it's healing.

He's just begun to relax, just begun to turn to Hakkai (and, by extension, Ken) with an expression of pleased surprise, when Goku comes barrelling in.

Thank every god, Goku's okay. ]

Hi. They killed Ayumu, Goku. She's dead.

[Hello to you too, Goku.]

[At least Chikusa isn't too bothered much, just readjusts himself against the wall and watches the proceedings. Ken's work is clearly going well enough, and he doubts that his partner will need to stick around for anything else. He's already starting to slide down to the ground when Gojyo says that.]

[There's a lot he could say there. He won't, save for a solitary breath that doesn't quite graduate into a huff. Instead, on the ground now with his long legs bent awkwardly, he holds his hands out.]

Ken.

[Gojyo is healing. That should be all that's needed. Now, he just wants to take his partner and get out of here. The longer one stays around Gojyo, after all, the longer his stupidity has a chance to manifest. The longer he's allowed to be stupid, the more likely a fight is going to happen.]

[Well, that's not the sort of thing Hakkai wants anyone to say around Ken and Chikusa. Or Goku, for that matter.

Or himself, but, at least, he knows better. His expression is still turning remote, cold as a winter wind at the back of the neck.]

She disappeared.

[It may mean the same thing, in the end. It's even less likely that she'll return from a disappearance than she will from a death -- but it's happened before, hasn't it? It's happened more than once.

And he doesn't want to discuss the difference between she disappeared and they killed her around Goku.

Not with Sanzo gone, at least.]

[Ken's ears shift a bit when Chikusa says his name, but he doesn't actually move from his spot on the floor. He knows proximity affects the healing acceleration he can provide; he'd had plenty of chances to observe the process while healing Ayumu. So while Chikusa might want to leave, Ken isn't going to budge until Gojyo's at least fairly well healed - or unless Hakkai sends him away. Which is the other reason he's not moving; Hakkai (and, to a lesser extent, Gojyo) accepted his help, so Ken's going to provide it until either it's no longer needed or he's told to stop.

He visibly twitches at Gojyo's words, before letting out a long, low whine. He doesn't necessarily believe what Gojyo's saying is true - for one thing, Hibari came back after disappearing once, even if he'd lost his memories, and for another, Gojyo has a history of believing weird shit that doesn't make logical sense and Ken knows it - but the very possibility distresses him. And there's no way to reassure himself after hearing those words and thinking those thoughts, no way to comfort himself that Gojyo's wrong.]

[There's a moment when Goku freezes- Ayumu's dead, she's really gone this time, someone killed Ayumu. For that moment, he feels cold all over. Then Hakkai speaks up and Goku shakes his head to remove the cloud of gloom. They don't know where Ayumu is right now. (They don't know where anyone is). But they're all here right now.]

Ayu's died a buncha times, she'll be fine!

[That's some logic. But everyone is upset- Goku can feel it- and Ayumu wouldn't want them to be.]

You're the dumbass that ran off and got all beat up and captured! [Goku punches Gojyo across the head. Partly to snap him out of it, partly because he deserves it.] Why'd you go on your own, dumb cockroach?!

Ow, hey!

[ Goku's punch rocks his head back, and Gojyo raises a hand to block in case Goku's got the idea to hit him a second time. ]

I'm wounded, have pity on the wounded guy.

[ He understands Goku's anger that he went on his own, just like he understands Ken and Chikusa's anger that he's in their house, again. What he doesn't understand is Hakkai's anger, and Goku's denial.

Why is everyone pretending that she's not dead? What's he missing here? He looks back and forth between Hakkai and Goku, his terrible poker face making his confusion clear. Ken and Chikusa know she's dead, right? So why are Hakkai and Goku pretending she isn't? ]

I just wanted to talk with Amaterasu, that's it. [ Sure, it would have been a shouting kind of talk, but he didn't mean to hurt anyone. He really didn't. ] She's got t'know something about the people d- uh. [ He shoots a wary glance at Hakkai. ] Disappearing.

[...Dammit.]

[Lips thinning, he pauses when Ken doesn't immediately come back to him. This really isn't good enough? He can't just leave it like it is? Gojyo isn't going to die, or else Heaven wouldn't have given him back to them.]

[Chikusa doesn't have to really wonder. He knows he doesn't. If Ken is committed to something, just like himself, then he'll go all the way. There are no half-done jobs.]

[Still in the air, his fingers curl back into his palm, and he hesitates for a moment before pushing himself forward. Getting up is for losers and assholes; Chikusa crawls over to his partner instead. He doesn't want to be this close, doesn't want to be near Gojyo at all, but he definitely won't abandon his partner... especially not when he's whining like that. Pressing a hand onto the nape of Ken's neck, he rubs his finger against the back of his ear.]

...It'll be alright, Ken. It's fine.

[He'll explain as much later, how Ayumu's existence has always been strange and unstable in the Far Shore... God, to shinki, to ayakashi, to god again. But later. Away from Gojyo, who'll just interrupt and ruin things.]

[It's the words themselves, more than any desire to protect Goku, that had left Hakkai so frozen. He shakes his head at Gojyo's nervous glance his way; the icy veneer is already falling away, real grief showing through beneath it.

He isn't stopping Goku from punching Gojyo, though. That's just their kind of friendship. It's probably better comfort than anything Hakkai can manage, despite the risk of concussion. And Chikusa's hand on Ken's canine head is better comfort to him, too.

Ayumu gone... things hadn't been good between them, recently, and they've never been easy. Still, it's a wound that will be open for a while. Saying dead, no matter how accurate it is, hurts more.]

She doesn't usually answer her door. Even if she does know something... [He looks up at Gojyo, meaning to catch his gaze and hold it.]

...Next time, take us with you. She might open the door to a God of Fortune, if she opens it to anyone.

[He hasn't tested this assertion yet, but it's possible, isn't it? And if she doesn't, he can at least make sure that things don't get violent. He lets his voice go light, and continues.]

Besides, if you cause trouble again, I'll have to take responsibility for it now.

Edited 2018-09-23 20:22 (UTC)

[Ken turns his head to press it against Chikusa, trying to burrow it into Chikusa's side as much as possible. He's intensely unhappy with this conversation - with Ayumu's disappearance, with Hakkai and Goku tying themselves to whatever bad ideas Gojyo may have in the future, with not having any say in what's happened or what's going to happen.

Chikusa's there, at least. But the thought of having lost Ayumu, and the fear of what might happen to Hakkai and Goku, and his own past experiences with Chikusa dying and his long history of unhappiness when Chikusa disassociates and leaves Ken technically alone...it's all too easy for him to imagine what would happen if Chikusa disappeared.

Chikusa believes fate intends for them always to be together, but Ken doesn't trust fate or anything else to be that kind. Chikusa worries about Ken and what might happen to him, but he's never experienced Ken dying and leaving him behind in reality. Ken's felt that twice. It's not fate keeping them together; it's luck. And luck doesn't always hold out.]