thenearshore | (no subject)

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Who: Axel the Accidental Ayakashi and you!
What: After a badly thought out conversation with Roxas, Axel succumbs to his memories and turns into a fiery ayakashi. (See the plotting post for details!)
Where: In a pretty park area in the Heavens, and rampaging around from there.
When: April 28, early afternoon
Warnings: Violence, character death, body horror

[A few hours after noon, a shriek spirals up into the still air of the Far Shore. Among the trees to one side of a path, purple limbs flail, backlit by a sullen lava glow, and something massive moves. The trees tremble.

Incoming.

Duck.]

(( This is an catchall mingle log for interactions with ayakashi!Axel and reactions! Axel will be tagging into the fight threads as well as the threads of anyone who asked for a quick interaction in the OOC log. ))

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[ There's a feeling, one that understands the same fear. But Shouto isn't going to let it take over, even as he feels the sting of the blight in his fingertips where they touch Izuku. But they won't leave him alone, he's decided. Even if they get infected by the blight, too. ]

Shut up, Midoriya. [ He only pulls away because of Kido, but Izuku's not going to be happy with the greater amount of contact as he scoops his arm under him, getting behind his knees so he can lift him up and carry him to the couch. ] We're not just going to sit here and watch you suffer.

[On one hand, he understands it completely, because if it was either of them suffering through this- if it was anybody he knew, he'd absolutely want to help them. But on the other, they're his partners and he hates that they have to share in his pain.

Still, even if he struggles to get out of Shouto's grasp, it's strong and solid and Izuku's not going to manage to get out of it any time soon.

Eventually he goes limp in Shouto's arms, exhausted.]

S-Sorry-

[It doesn't take her long to be back at all. There's definitely not enough bottles in the fridge to take care of this blight. But she thinks if there's anything that might help, it'd be dealing with the insides. It might not help at all, but she's cracking the bottle open and bringing it over to join them.]

Seriously, Boss. Shut up. You'll start coughing again. [She's trying to sound serious and it would probably be more convincing if her voice wasn't trembling.] Think you can swallow?

[ The good thing about Izuku being weaker is that he can't struggle as easily, and Shouto is strong enough to handle him anyways - which he doesn't know, but that's obviously not stopping him. He stays with him when he sets him on the couch, too, frowning at him through the pain of the blight at the fact he's apologizing. ]

This isn't your fault. [ Of that, he's certain. It isn't his doing, and it's definitely not Kido's - he has a hard time imagining her doing something that would hurt Izuku - so that means it's an outside source.

He's going to find out the source, and he's going to raze it to the ground. For now, though, he shifts out of the way so that Kido can get to their god. ]

[Shout says that, but he's pretty sure it is. It's neither Shouto or Kido, which means it's likely his. They're his two shinki and... that leaves Axel? But he didn't seem like the type to go feeling this guilty- what happened? What happened?

He looks up at his shinki and he's very sure he's not going to get anywhere, even as much as he wants to check up on his friend (turned ayakashi, not that he knows).

He'll just nod for now, gesturing for the bottle. He can at least swallow, he thinks- not that this amount of holy water can him much good.]

[It's worth a shot, isn't it? If it eases things even a little, it'll be better than nothing. She's willing to try anything. She takes a knee next to the couch and cradles his head. If he starts coughing again, it could be dangerous.

She seems to know how futile this is at least because when she holds it to his mouth she mumbles:] Just try it okay?

[She doesn't look up when she changes who she's addressing.] I-I don't know what to do. Maybe somebody else will. One of the gods who belong here might know what to do...

[ If they can slow it down, even a little bit, so that they can find out how to help - it's worth it. It's worth trying, and it's worth the two of them suffering through the blight. Even if it's just the barest amount. A hero has to do what they can, especially for someone they consider their partner.

His attention doesn't quite shift from Izuku, but he does turn his head more towards Kido as she speaks. ]

Then we have to ask. [ He pats his pockets down, until he can dig his phone out. For as much as he's not particularly social, he's willing to do this in a heartbeat. ]

[He does manage to swallow it down- though it doesn't seem to do anything much for him.

Izuku huffs, as he tries to sit up- doubling over and coughing more of the black stuff- maybe he can get it out of his system like this... There's likely more he has to do, but he's not sure what.

He doesn't try to talk again, body wracked with coughing fits, but he can still think, I'm so sorry as he continues retching and hope they understand.]

[She wraps an arm around his shoulders to help him up and keep him steady. She feels like it's only made things worse. She bites back a whimper of fear--

Her head is pounding though that she can't lose him. She can't.

She hasn't realized she's crying yet. She doesn't have any ideas on what to do from here. She's never felt so helpless.]

Just keep breathing, okay? Please, Deku, c'mon, we'll figure this out...

[ For a second, Shouto forgets what he's doing. Concern becomes a note of panic that lodges itself in his throat, as he watches him cough up the dark bile, and he fumbles his phone as he reaches out to touch him again. His right hand curls around the back of Izuku's neck, that cool pressure there despite the bruise-like mark of the blight, and his left hand reaches for Kido.

He fists his fingers against her shoulder, closing the circle between the three of them. ]

We'll get help. You just have to hold on long enough for that, Midoriya. [ He forces himself to keep the way he feels incredibly lost out of his voice, holding on for another moment longer, two, before he lets go of both of them and scoops up his phone. ]

[He's worrying them. He's worrying them both so much and he has no idea how to fix this. No idea how to fix himself.

Part of him doesn't want to touch either of them, lest the blight somehow spread even faster- but he thinks, maybe, they need the grounding. Izuku reaches up to hold both of their shoulders, squeezing them, a reassurance. He's still here. He's right here. He's not going anywhere, even if he feels like he's expelling all of his guts.]

I'm- I'm here. I'm still here. I trust you. Both of you. [-is as much as he can struggle to get out.]

[For the brief second his hand is on her shoulder, she lifts her free hand to grasp it. If he feels anything like how she feels, they both need the connection.

She doesn't let up her hold on Deku's shoulders. Keep him up. If he starts coughing like that on his back, it won't be good for anyone.]

Yeah. We know. Just... [Just keep breathing, thinks the dead kid. But she trails off, glancing at Shouto.]

Let us take care of you.

[ The tense line of his shoulders just gets tenser when Izuku touches him, but Shouto looks up from his phone where he's making the plea for help, making it short and to the point if only so that he can focus on the two of them again.

He doesn't remember ever feeling so useless, without his memories. (Not since he was five years old.) But he's pretty sure that this is taking the cake right now, especially after two days of relatively successful prayers and more lighthearted companionship after them. He'd just been given that - and now there's the threat of it being taken away. ]

We're going to make sure you're okay. [ He reaches and curls his fingers around Izuku's on his shoulder, other hand reaching to Kido again as he looks back at her. ]

[He's supposed to be there for them, he's supposed to be somebody they can rely on to be there for them. That's what a god is supposed to be- that's what a friend is supposed to be. What kind of god is he then? He's making his shinki, two people that have experienced far, far too much hurt in their lives, even if they don't remember it, live through something like this? They've both lost so much. It's not fair to them if they lose him too.

Shouldn't he be making sure they're okay? Shouldn't he be the one trying to get himself healthy again? He thinks it, but he can't manage many more words considering the pain. Even breaking his arms into uselessness was never as bad as this is- he could still talk then, strained and pained, but still able to do that much. Like this his throat is feeling raw, even as he tries to swallow the feeling down.]

I know.

[If Kido knew what he was thinking, she'd remind him the reason they're so worried about him is that he is a good god and friend and partner. The best god and friend and partner they probably could've asked for. And that's why they worry. That's why they care. He'd do it for them--jesus, he did it for her just a few days ago. And they're going to do it for him.

Kido grabs Shouto's hand instead of letting it rest on her shoulder. They're both blighted already so it's not like it's going to hurt him any more than he's already hurt. And she wants the contact--the mutual assurance they're both going to do everything they can. She can give back that much at least.]

Lean on us. We'll keep you up. Don't strain yourself sitting up when we're here. [And they'll all get blighted to heck but if they can't fix Deku like what's the point of staying intact in the first place? Things she is not saying out loud.]

[ Foreign as all of this is to him, from the feeling of helplessness to the concern he has for these two people to the very act of reacting out for physical reassurance, Shouto doesn't shy away from it. He holds onto Kido's hand when she grabs his, keeping from heating up - the stress is causing his right side to flare up more than his left, anyways - and looks from her to Izuku.

A team looks out for each other. That's what they do. Friends... friends take care of one another, he thinks. He doesn't know if he really knows the full extent of that, even with exposure to it since coming here. But he knows that he feels loyalty to Izuku, and knows that he wants to hold onto Kido as they try to weather through this together. The blight hurts, a great deal, but he can ignore pain for this. ]

We're partners. You said it yourself.

[He closes his eyes for a moment, leaning his forehead against one of their shoulders- cold- must be Shouto's right side. He stays like that, trying to steady his breath and the desire to keep coughing up whatever this is.

That's right, they are a team, aren't they? They're partners- that's what he's said to both of them. Even if a part of him still feels responsible for them, they probably feel the same way, at least a little bit. They're blighted because of him, but he would have gotten blighted for them too if it meant, just maybe, he could comfort them a bit.

He lets out a shaky breath and wraps his arms around both their shoulder's hugging them. Tangible proof he's right there with them. They can do this. They can deal with this together.]

We are.

[She rubs Deku's back, trying anything to help him. It's numb, mechanical, weighed down by the knowledge "there's nothing I can do."

She tightens her grip on Shouto's hand, looking up, voice soft so maybe Deku won't hear it.] You should be careful, too. If we get too much of this... we can wind up an ayakashi, too.

[Yeah sure blighty mcblightarms.]

[ With the way they're arranged, Izuku presses them closer together when he puts his arms around them. His fluffy hair sticks to the side of Shouto's face a little, but he doesn't really pay it much mind as he looks at Kido. He's pretty sure they're both blighted and staying right there, so. ]

Neither of us is moving. [ It's a soft murmur, but blunt regardless, because he already knows Kido well enough to know this. Although, he does move when his phone goes off, removing his hand from Izuku. He sees Bishamon's message, first, being text, and he speaks up properly to ask - ]

Does he have any other shinki? Midoriya - [ He turns his head to try and look at him. ]

[Stupid he thinks, as he hugs them closer. They don't listen to him at all, but he knows very well, he wouldn't have listened to them either. Not when it's something like this. He sighs, accepting it and his fate of two very loyal, very stubborn shinki.

There's a pause- he told Kido. He hasn't told Shouto, boy what a way to learn.]

Axel. He's... nora. [But he really didn't seem like the type to feel this much guilt, what's going on out there? What happened to him?]

[It could've been much worse for all of them. A god who didn't care that they were putting everything at risk. Shinki who would've let him suffer--or caused the blight without caring.

She's almost surprised. She'd forgotten, or assumed he'd un-nora'd him somehow.]

Do you think it's him? [It'd have to be. It's not either of them.] D-did he get attacked?

[ When he gets the answer, Shouto ducks his head again, resting his temple against Izuku as he taps out a response. This is the first he's heard of this, and he has questions about what it means to be nora, but just the word makes him feel a little uneasy.

Nevermind the fact that he feels protective anger at the thought of someone doing this to Izuku. But it's not like any of them can do something about that, right now. ]

The only way to clear the blight is to remove it from him. [ Bishamon is quick, at least, but he also gets a chance to see Forrest's message. ] But there's someone, Lakshmi's replacement, they have somewhere to cleanse it at their temple. Healing pools.

[A shinki who's contracted to more than one god- he didn't think too much of it at the time, it's a temporary team up. Something that every hero has to get used to- working with other people, adjusting to them- it's a necessary part of the job.]

I don't- know where Axel is. [Or what's happened to him. If it's this bad... He's never seen a case of blight this bad. Are all of the gods connected to him feeling like death?

There's another coughing fit before he manages to answer.]

That's- Forrest's temple.

[The thing he encouraged Kido to be at one point. Sure is a good thing she didn't, isn't it? She considers this thing.]

You feeling okay enough to carry him, Shouto? [Because if they have to cure Axel, and if someone has to get him to Forrest's temple... She's been here longer. She at least knows who Axel is. And these two need to get cleared up as quick as they can.]

[ For a very long moment, Shouto just - looks at Kido. The answer is yes, but the problem is that he doesn't know Axel. He doesn't know if he's done this on purpose, or if something has happened to him. He doesn't know if it's safe for her to go alone to try and find him. While her powers would keep her safe, if need be, she's also been blighted.

If it continues to spread, what will happen to her? ]

I am. And you, if I have to. [ It's not so much a threat as it is a promise, as he narrows his eyes. ] If you're going to go looking for him, you need to come and get cleansed, first. We don't know what's happened to him, if he's the one causing this. You can't go into it weakened by the blight.