[Well, almost immediately he looks pretty worried by Junpei's state. It's worse seeing it than it is hearing about it. His hand lifts a bit, and then the fingers curl into a withheld fist. Same hat, tho.]
Junpei-san... [WAH!!] I'm... Forgive me, I didn't mean to wake you. Please go back to sleep so you can rest.
No, no it's fine. [He's rubbing his eyes a little and patting his own cheek to jar himself awake.] I've been sleeping too much anyway, I should be up for a little bit. Come on in.
[He gestures for Hizamaru to follow, heading for the loveseat and settling in the corner to leave the other half for the sword.] Everything okay? [He says, like he's not the one who had 80% of his energy drained from him.]
[Timidly, he eases into the room. He says something when he enters, it's a single word in Japanese, ojamashimasu, but it comes out as a kind of respectful call:]
I will disturb you!
[There's only a momentary glance around before he follows dutifully behind Junpei to the loveseat. He sits on the other side, proper with his back straight and forward on the edge, though that's mostly so his sword can be positioned correctly behind him.]
[Hizamaru's done this before and it actually gets a real grin out of him. The good puppysword is polite as always and Junpei watches him curiously. There're sleep-lines embedded in his cheek where he's been conked out against his pillow for a while, but he mostly looks okay beyond that, even if a little stiff and uncomfortable.]
I'll be fine. Nikkari and Edelgard got the worst of it with injuries. I'll have to go see them later and apologize, I guess. [He blinks sleepily.] But no other damage. The room was sort of a bust besides the information we got.
[If he weren't so worried about Junpei, he'd probably laugh about the lines. Instead, he just?? Sorry, he's a Genji. He just reaches out to cup Junpei's jaw and firmly rub a gloved thumb over the lines as if they are wrinkles and that will remove them.]
I'm glad you're alright, Junpei-san. Elder brother didn't fare well in that room either.
[It's fine, because Junpei is actually lowkey needy he settles into Hizamaru's hand pretty easily. Hewwo.]
So I heard. We had to do something similar to what Higekiri and the others did. [...before that though, he looks a little more alert now.] You and Shiraishi went, right? When I did a headcount I didn't find either of you. What happened?
[Junpei receives his first few puppy caresses. But he politely draws his hand back when Junpei seems more focused.]
Mm. I found Shiraishi-san attempting to enter the door of the large room in the newest basement. So I assisted him. It was... a very strange experience. I'm not sure what the room is, but... it reminded me of home, in a way. When we're singing and dancing.
There were shadows, but they had strange paint on them. And there was a stage, and a place like the one where you were serving drinks. The person behind was only a shadow, however. And there was a statue...
A woman. She had no head, and her arms were reaching up. She had two... pills? I think they are called. In her palms.
...god, was that idiot going alone? [Shiraishi!! He doesn't mind Hiramaru withdrawing his hand but he sits up and listens.]
That sort of sounds like a night club. A big room for dancing and everything. [He squints.] Did you take the pills? And were they red and blue, by chance...
[But Shiraishi made an almost Matrix reference, and so did we in the DM, so it's fine.]
I didn't want anything to happen to Shiraishi-san if we had to find out what they did, so I took the black one when he wasn't looking. And then... I don't remember... [He shakes his head.] I wanted to dance. I wanted to dance until I couldn't stop, in the crowd with everyone. The music... it had words, but I couldn't hear them. I wanted to sing, but...
[It isn't a question, but it sounds like he's testing the phrase.] I don't remember... [He frowns.] It looked like Prompto-san... and danced like Prompto-san. [But.
After a pause, he reaches up to begin undoing the buttons of the formal shirt--he's missing the jacket, and any white sections of his uniform (there aren't too many luckily) seem to have been stained by something black.
He peels open the shirt a bit, wincing, so Junpei can see his chest. The entire section of white skin has been equally as stained, almost as if by ink. Here and there, sections of strange lesions are beneath the stains--not quite a burn, but something. Everything seems to go from his collar down toward the hemline of his pants.
On his chest, too, is a somewhat scabbed cut out in his skin. It looks like perhaps like it had been scrubbed accidentally when the skin was, knocking some scabs loose.]
You know how like you were poisoned? Some drugs can make people hallucinate or lose track of things and make them really sick. [But...Hizamaru's suddenly opening his shirt and Junpei just. Blinks in surprise and looks at the cut out. The fuck?]
Does it hurt? What...how? [He kind of reaches forward to touch it but stops himself because holy shit what?]
He follows Junpei's hand down to his chest, glancing at the stylized cut.] No, it's okay... I received that... somewhere else. [His eyes lift slowly.] The blackness doesn't hurt... but...
The other... I'm not sure what it is, it didn't hurt at first. But it's beginning to hurt worse.
It happened after you took the pill. The black one. That explains some things, but...maybe there's an antidote or something to reverse it. A detox or something.
What happened to Shiraishi when Prompto came to you? Do you remember where he was?
[All he can do is nod, hoping that Junpei's words are true, though... he's suffered a good deal already, and perhaps this isn't so bad.]
If not, I will be okay. I will temper myself by enduring so that I may become stronger.
[He studies Junpei's face a moment and then looks away thoughtfully, distant.]
Shiraishi-san... tried to stop us from dancing, I think, once. I don't know why. But then he let us be, and... I don't remember. He was... on the stage? I think. When I started remembering again, when Prompto-san left... It was very dark, and I had to turn on the lights.
Shiraishi-san was on the floor. He had something in his hand, but I don't know what it was. He kept it.
Just don't hold out too long if it gets worse. Tell us and we'll figure it out. [He's not happy that puppysword is suffering, again, but what can he do?]
...it sounds like I have to go talk to Shiraishi myself then. If he took something, it might be something important. And what happened to the headless woman and stuff?
I'll see if I can find him then and ask. Thanks for letting me know. [And please? Tell him if you're dying? Speaking of:] You told Higekiri everything and showed him these marks, didn't you?
[This time, he nods his head without being a sad, reluctant baby.]
He wanted to check on me. I told him I didn't want to stain the sheets resting, so... he looked. I told him what happened when he asked. I think he may have spoken to Shiraishi-san as well.
I'll compare notes with him later I guess. But good. Just in case something does happen...[Higekiri knows and Hizamaru probably won't lie to him. With that said, he rubs the back of his head.]
Our room wasn't anything like that. We were the only people there but the recording we heard was pretty strange.
[Hm. Give him a second, he's getting up slowly and almost stumbles but eventually straightens to walk toward the bedroom area. When he comes back, he has a notebook in his hand and he flips through it before handing it to Hizamaru.]
Read this, tell me what you think.
[The writing is a little sloppy, but:
?: Holy shit, what are you doing?!
H: Trying to shove this lance up your fucking asshole! What does it look like I'm doing?
?: It looks like you've lost your goddamn mind. Calm down, H, and we can talk about this.
H: Are you seriously asking me to calm down? You must think I'm a moron. I bet... I bet you always think you're the smartest guy in the room, don't you?
?: I don't know what you mean. (Paraphrased)
H: Hah-- Of course you don't. You think everyone on this fucking ship loves you, right? You don't think anyone talks about you behind your back. I'm such an idiot for thinking we were friends, when it's your fault that my brother is dead. I've been talking to M. You know what she told me? That she and the other two Cockblockers planned to (protect? save?) my brother, and you said no. And you know what else she dropped along the way? That you specifically told them to keep any information they found away from me.
?: It's not what it sounds like.
H: Don't waste your breath. It's midnight and we're both awake. So either you're possessed, and here to kill me... Or they've given me their blessing to put you in your place.
?: So we're really going to fight over this?
H: Yes. But look at the bright side, (?), you won't have to send pictures of your ugly dick to talk to A anymore.]
[JUNPEI, PLEASE. Both arms jump up a bit, even if it's painful, to make sure he can catch Junpei if the man goes toppling over. Christ, give him a heart attack. The arms lower as Junpei leaves, and the works on getting the shirt carefully done back up while Junpei is retrieving...
...a book?
Taking it, the first thing he thinks is,] A script...? [But of course it is, it had been a recording, right? Of what they heard. His brows become increasingly more pinched the more he reads.] It's... [He shakes his head.] Like a continuing of the one elder brother heard... about the brothers. He didn't like it, I think. [Ha ha. Brothers and brothers dying. Fun.]
It reminds me... [He frowns.] It reminds me of back home. The mission we had been on... with Mikazuki-sama. We deployed as a unit, but we split into teams to cover more ground. Me, Imanotsurugi-san, and Mikazuki-sama. Elder brother, Kogitsunemaru-sama, and Iwatooshi-san.
It was difficult to work together sometimes because... we didn't trust Mikazuki-sama. Kogitsunemaru-sama, too. They did not trust us at first since we were so recently summoned. Iwatooshi-san wanted us to keep who we were a secret from Imanotsurugi-san. The timeline... Neither of them may have existed. He didn't want Imanotsurugi-san to be upset, so he hid it to protect him.
Perhaps that is how Mikazuki-sama was able to elude us and alter history somewhat. None of us trusted the rest.
[Please be careful puppysword!! Just let Junpei eat shit, it's fine. But he returns and lets Hizamaru read.]
Yeah, I'm not too surprised. [Haha. Dead brothers who begin with H, even. Bad.] It's maybe a continuation, but definitely after the fact. The recording your brother heard, I think H still trusted whoever the other person is.
...you told me about that guy. That was the sword your saniwa asked you to keep an eye on, wasn't it? [Jiji what the fuck.] That's exactly the problem. If no one trusts the rest of the group, we're going to fall apart just like that, and just like the last group. I still don't know how much of the recordings we can trust, but they're a good reminder of what not to do.
Were you guys distrusting of Mikazuki and Kogitsunemaru just because they didn't trust you first?
Mm. [Let's not talk about the H-brothers, ha ha! Scary.] Kogitsunemaru-sama was concerned about elder brother and I going on a mission after being so recently summoned. I wasn't offended. There were truth to his concerns, and he is a wise with age. But elder brother and I wanted to prove ourselves, and our master reassured Kogitsunemaru-sama with the others.
Our memories of Yoshitsune-sama and Yoritomo-sama would assist with the mission.
[But Kogitsunemaru also overheard them chatting about Mikazuki, rip.]
We did not distrust Mikazuki-sama... so much as we were worried why he would want to alter history. Elder brother... showed me a memory, his memory. Mikazuki-sama... felt strongly for wanting to be remembered and to exist.
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Junpei-san... [WAH!!] I'm... Forgive me, I didn't mean to wake you. Please go back to sleep so you can rest.
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[He gestures for Hizamaru to follow, heading for the loveseat and settling in the corner to leave the other half for the sword.] Everything okay? [He says, like he's not the one who had 80% of his energy drained from him.]
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I will disturb you!
[There's only a momentary glance around before he follows dutifully behind Junpei to the loveseat. He sits on the other side, proper with his back straight and forward on the edge, though that's mostly so his sword can be positioned correctly behind him.]
I should be asking you that, Junpei-san.
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I'll be fine. Nikkari and Edelgard got the worst of it with injuries. I'll have to go see them later and apologize, I guess. [He blinks sleepily.] But no other damage. The room was sort of a bust besides the information we got.
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[If he weren't so worried about Junpei, he'd probably laugh about the lines. Instead, he just?? Sorry, he's a Genji. He just reaches out to cup Junpei's jaw and firmly rub a gloved thumb over the lines as if they are wrinkles and that will remove them.]
I'm glad you're alright, Junpei-san. Elder brother didn't fare well in that room either.
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So I heard. We had to do something similar to what Higekiri and the others did. [...before that though, he looks a little more alert now.] You and Shiraishi went, right? When I did a headcount I didn't find either of you. What happened?
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Mm. I found Shiraishi-san attempting to enter the door of the large room in the newest basement. So I assisted him. It was... a very strange experience. I'm not sure what the room is, but... it reminded me of home, in a way. When we're singing and dancing.
There were shadows, but they had strange paint on them. And there was a stage, and a place like the one where you were serving drinks. The person behind was only a shadow, however. And there was a statue...
A woman. She had no head, and her arms were reaching up. She had two... pills? I think they are called. In her palms.
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That sort of sounds like a night club. A big room for dancing and everything. [He squints.] Did you take the pills? And were they red and blue, by chance...
[If this is the Matrix he quits.]
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[But Shiraishi made an almost Matrix reference, and so did we in the DM, so it's fine.]
I didn't want anything to happen to Shiraishi-san if we had to find out what they did, so I took the black one when he wasn't looking. And then... I don't remember... [He shakes his head.] I wanted to dance. I wanted to dance until I couldn't stop, in the crowd with everyone. The music... it had words, but I couldn't hear them. I wanted to sing, but...
And then Prompto-san... He came to dance with me.
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[It isn't a question, but it sounds like he's testing the phrase.] I don't remember... [He frowns.] It looked like Prompto-san... and danced like Prompto-san. [But.
After a pause, he reaches up to begin undoing the buttons of the formal shirt--he's missing the jacket, and any white sections of his uniform (there aren't too many luckily) seem to have been stained by something black.
He peels open the shirt a bit, wincing, so Junpei can see his chest. The entire section of white skin has been equally as stained, almost as if by ink. Here and there, sections of strange lesions are beneath the stains--not quite a burn, but something. Everything seems to go from his collar down toward the hemline of his pants.
On his chest, too, is a somewhat scabbed cut out in his skin. It looks like perhaps like it had been scrubbed accidentally when the skin was, knocking some scabs loose.]
I don't remember...
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Does it hurt? What...how? [He kind of reaches forward to touch it but stops himself because holy shit what?]
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[Oh.
He follows Junpei's hand down to his chest, glancing at the stylized cut.] No, it's okay... I received that... somewhere else. [His eyes lift slowly.] The blackness doesn't hurt... but...
The other... I'm not sure what it is, it didn't hurt at first. But it's beginning to hurt worse.
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What happened to Shiraishi when Prompto came to you? Do you remember where he was?
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If not, I will be okay. I will temper myself by enduring so that I may become stronger.
[He studies Junpei's face a moment and then looks away thoughtfully, distant.]
Shiraishi-san... tried to stop us from dancing, I think, once. I don't know why. But then he let us be, and... I don't remember. He was... on the stage? I think. When I started remembering again, when Prompto-san left... It was very dark, and I had to turn on the lights.
Shiraishi-san was on the floor. He had something in his hand, but I don't know what it was. He kept it.
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Just don't hold out too long if it gets worse. Tell us and we'll figure it out. [He's not happy that puppysword is suffering, again, but what can he do?]
...it sounds like I have to go talk to Shiraishi myself then. If he took something, it might be something important. And what happened to the headless woman and stuff?
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[Maybe. He can’t hold back anija tears, but he can hold back pain ones.]
Ah—the statue? I... don’t quiet remember. Perhaps she is still there. Oh— [A pause.] She had writing on her stomach.
I didn’t see what it said, but I think Shiraishi-san looked.
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I'll see if I can find him then and ask. Thanks for letting me know. [And please? Tell him if you're dying? Speaking of:] You told Higekiri everything and showed him these marks, didn't you?
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He wanted to check on me. I told him I didn't want to stain the sheets resting, so... he looked. I told him what happened when he asked. I think he may have spoken to Shiraishi-san as well.
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Our room wasn't anything like that. We were the only people there but the recording we heard was pretty strange.
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How did the recording sound...?
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Read this, tell me what you think.
[The writing is a little sloppy, but:
?: Holy shit, what are you doing?!
H: Trying to shove this lance up your fucking asshole! What does it look like I'm doing?
?: It looks like you've lost your goddamn mind. Calm down, H, and we can talk about this.
H: Are you seriously asking me to calm down? You must think I'm a moron. I bet... I bet you always think you're the smartest guy in the room, don't you?
?: I don't know what you mean. (Paraphrased)
H: Hah-- Of course you don't. You think everyone on this fucking ship loves you, right? You don't think anyone talks about you behind your back. I'm such an idiot for thinking we were friends, when it's your fault that my brother is dead. I've been talking to M. You know what she told me? That she and the other two Cockblockers planned to (protect? save?) my brother, and you said no. And you know what else she dropped along the way? That you specifically told them to keep any information they found away from me.
?: It's not what it sounds like.
H: Don't waste your breath. It's midnight and we're both awake. So either you're possessed, and here to kill me... Or they've given me their blessing to put you in your place.
?: So we're really going to fight over this?
H: Yes. But look at the bright side, (?), you won't have to send pictures of your ugly dick to talk to A anymore.]
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...a book?
Taking it, the first thing he thinks is,] A script...? [But of course it is, it had been a recording, right? Of what they heard. His brows become increasingly more pinched the more he reads.] It's... [He shakes his head.] Like a continuing of the one elder brother heard... about the brothers. He didn't like it, I think. [Ha ha. Brothers and brothers dying. Fun.]
It reminds me... [He frowns.] It reminds me of back home. The mission we had been on... with Mikazuki-sama. We deployed as a unit, but we split into teams to cover more ground. Me, Imanotsurugi-san, and Mikazuki-sama. Elder brother, Kogitsunemaru-sama, and Iwatooshi-san.
It was difficult to work together sometimes because... we didn't trust Mikazuki-sama. Kogitsunemaru-sama, too. They did not trust us at first since we were so recently summoned. Iwatooshi-san wanted us to keep who we were a secret from Imanotsurugi-san. The timeline... Neither of them may have existed. He didn't want Imanotsurugi-san to be upset, so he hid it to protect him.
Perhaps that is how Mikazuki-sama was able to elude us and alter history somewhat. None of us trusted the rest.
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Yeah, I'm not too surprised. [Haha. Dead brothers who begin with H, even. Bad.] It's maybe a continuation, but definitely after the fact. The recording your brother heard, I think H still trusted whoever the other person is.
...you told me about that guy. That was the sword your saniwa asked you to keep an eye on, wasn't it? [Jiji what the fuck.] That's exactly the problem. If no one trusts the rest of the group, we're going to fall apart just like that, and just like the last group. I still don't know how much of the recordings we can trust, but they're a good reminder of what not to do.
Were you guys distrusting of Mikazuki and Kogitsunemaru just because they didn't trust you first?
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Mm. [Let's not talk about the H-brothers, ha ha! Scary.] Kogitsunemaru-sama was concerned about elder brother and I going on a mission after being so recently summoned. I wasn't offended. There were truth to his concerns, and he is a wise with age. But elder brother and I wanted to prove ourselves, and our master reassured Kogitsunemaru-sama with the others.
Our memories of Yoshitsune-sama and Yoritomo-sama would assist with the mission.
[But Kogitsunemaru also overheard them chatting about Mikazuki, rip.]
We did not distrust Mikazuki-sama... so much as we were worried why he would want to alter history. Elder brother... showed me a memory, his memory. Mikazuki-sama... felt strongly for wanting to be remembered and to exist.
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