The alleyway nearby, if that's alright. Until then.
[ once izō arrives, he will find six right where he said he would be, if not a bit more out of sight from anyone else who happens to pass by. there are random cuts and bruises marring his pale skin, worn bandages peeking from underneath clothes, but otherwise, he looks relatively in one piece.
he's trying his best to not be too skittish — even though it's a tall order at this point. whatever happened up north is enough to spook him, it seems. ]
[ Izō shows up not too much later. An appraising eye observes Six for a moment. No questions are asked about his appearance -- he also carries some concealed bruises and some not-so-concealed bite marks all over one of his forearms. The encounter he may not have been as dire, but it certainly wasn't pleasant. ]
There ya are...Didn't keep ya waitin' too long, did I?
[ straight to the point, but it's better this way. both of them look like they've been through a Time so he can only wonder what izō might have encountered during. one last check to make sure there's no one else around and then he's ready to speak— ]
... Rokurou and I encountered the occultists, I think, when we tried looking for where the shrine could be.
Me and Lalli...Well, he went in some'a those noble houses lookin' for anythin' useful. I was outside an' this fuckin' crane appeared outta nowhere. Some kinda youkai...It attacked us both.
[ There's more to it than that, but he wants to hear what Six found first before he shares the important part. ]
[ izō mentioning the crane brings curiousity to the rest of his expression, but it's quickly subdued when it's his turn to talk. ]
That's... [ when he starts to speak, his ears deflate slightly, as though he's not quite sure how to proceed. ] That's the strange part. My injuries are mostly from traps that I had to dismantle on our way further up north.
[ no amount of going over what happened is helping it make more sense. ]
They didn't hurt us at all. They wouldn't even try.
[ the erune simply shakes his head, unable to offer a more definitive answer. ]
I'm not certain. They were more interested in taking our masks away from us but otherwise left us unharmed. [ the oni's mask is still looped by his hip, somehow more secured than before. ] I don't know what they're after at this point.
[ given the information izō gave him too— if the crane is controlled by the occultists, it just doesn't make any sense. ]
[ He doesn't know for sure -- investigation is not his strong suit. He's not smart enough to make clear, concrete connections nor does he think deeply enough to draw deeper conclusions. ]
That crane appeared outta fuckin' nowhere after Lalli read somethin' and chased us into a house. We killed it an' a youkai, an old woman, appeared outta a closet. She wasn't hostile or anythin', she showed us some hidden shit in another house...Dunno what it means. Combs, some perfume, soap...but there wasn't a bath anywhere inside.
Yes, I believe this to be the case as well. But...
[ as far as the why's, he has no idea. he listens to what izō has to say about the crane in hopes that it might have a clue, or anything at all, that will shed further light on the strange situation he encountered. except all it does is make him cross his arms, ears tilting from side to side. ]
Did the crane have a pendant anywhere on its body? Similar to the ones we found on felled corpses.
[ if such a thing existed, then... were the occultists interested in attacking them through different means rather than directly? ]
Nah...Nothin' like that at all. Th' woman called it a "beast", so she'd seen that crane before I think.
[ Izō is forgetting an important detail. His brow furrows for a moment as he tries to remember exactly what Lalli had been reading. ]
Th' book Lalli had...It mentioned somethin' about a noble family sacrificin' girls to some kinda lake spirit. Dunno if that means anythin' for anyone right now, either.
[ to be fair, he said that out loud without even thinking about it. of course there's a chance they'll see others as monsters. it wouldn't be all that farfetched of an idea, but he can only assume he is grasping straws right now.
as for the book— ]
In any case, I wonder if this is related to what sort of ritual is waiting for us at the next shrine. A human sacrifice, from the sounds of it.
[ what a morbid thing to say with such a straight face. ]
[ When you've dealt with death a lot, you tend to be fairly detached from the concept of it. A sacrifice...does ring a little bit differently. ]
Probably...Better not expect us t' kill one'a ours, though.
[ He's gotten attached to some people here and is as loyal to the mask bearers as a whole as he's ever been to anything. Asking for the death of one is too much to ask. ]
It would have to be given willingly for it to work, right? [ much like the noguchi clan from so long ago, it didn't work when the forest took their lives without ever coming to that agreement. ] There were those who were quick to offer themselves as sacrifice last time, but...
[ a heavy, weary sigh. just thinking about how many were willing to die for a cause they've yet to understand is enough to exhaust him. ]
It wouldn't be the first time that turned out to be the wrong answer.
[ this is as close to reassuring as he'll get, awkward as he is. ]
[ Some people were the self-sacrificing type...He knew the type well, his former best friend was definitely that type. Izō doesn't dwell on that thought for too long, though. ]
Yeah, well...Whatever. Guess we'll find out when it happens. [ Right now, however... ] We gotta find others that met with this guy, too, and see what they found. See if any of it makes more sense together.
Yeah, yeah...how many times I gotta tell ya not t' worry 'bout me?
[ Of course he brushes off the concern. His arm would heal in time and, if anyone did try to come after him, he can defend himself. Izō can't accept that someone cares about him. ]
[ Maybe one day he'll learn to accept that people care about him -- today is not that day, though. He just gives a silent nod, heading in the opposite direction just in case. It didn't seem like anyone saw them or overhead them, but the risk is never zero.
Whatever waited ahead was going to be dangerous...All they could do was prepare. ]
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winterfish
no subject
Date: 2021-02-26 04:41 pm (UTC)Did you encounter anything strange?
[ cryptic, but he'd rather not be specific over the network. just in case. ]
no subject
Date: 2021-02-26 10:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-02-27 04:15 am (UTC)I said I would share, if I come across anything else, so if you have time— let me know.
no subject
Date: 2021-02-27 04:18 am (UTC)apartments?
➠ action.
Date: 2021-02-27 09:08 pm (UTC)The alleyway nearby, if that's alright. Until then.
[ once izō arrives, he will find six right where he said he would be, if not a bit more out of sight from anyone else who happens to pass by. there are random cuts and bruises marring his pale skin, worn bandages peeking from underneath clothes, but otherwise, he looks relatively in one piece.
he's trying his best to not be too skittish — even though it's a tall order at this point. whatever happened up north is enough to spook him, it seems. ]
no subject
Date: 2021-02-28 03:48 am (UTC)There ya are...Didn't keep ya waitin' too long, did I?
no subject
Date: 2021-02-28 04:58 am (UTC)[ straight to the point, but it's better this way. both of them look like they've been through a Time so he can only wonder what izō might have encountered during. one last check to make sure there's no one else around and then he's ready to speak— ]
... Rokurou and I encountered the occultists, I think, when we tried looking for where the shrine could be.
no subject
Date: 2021-02-28 05:03 pm (UTC)[ He didn't need to say it. ]
Me and Lalli...Well, he went in some'a those noble houses lookin' for anythin' useful. I was outside an' this fuckin' crane appeared outta nowhere. Some kinda youkai...It attacked us both.
[ There's more to it than that, but he wants to hear what Six found first before he shares the important part. ]
no subject
Date: 2021-02-28 08:33 pm (UTC)That's... [ when he starts to speak, his ears deflate slightly, as though he's not quite sure how to proceed. ] That's the strange part. My injuries are mostly from traps that I had to dismantle on our way further up north.
[ no amount of going over what happened is helping it make more sense. ]
They didn't hurt us at all. They wouldn't even try.
no subject
Date: 2021-02-28 11:18 pm (UTC)What...? Are ya fuckin' serious? Why th' hell not? Ya think they'd be after ya...
no subject
Date: 2021-03-01 12:18 am (UTC)I'm not certain. They were more interested in taking our masks away from us but otherwise left us unharmed. [ the oni's mask is still looped by his hip, somehow more secured than before. ] I don't know what they're after at this point.
[ given the information izō gave him too— if the crane is controlled by the occultists, it just doesn't make any sense. ]
no subject
Date: 2021-03-01 12:40 am (UTC)[ He doesn't know for sure -- investigation is not his strong suit. He's not smart enough to make clear, concrete connections nor does he think deeply enough to draw deeper conclusions. ]
That crane appeared outta fuckin' nowhere after Lalli read somethin' and chased us into a house. We killed it an' a youkai, an old woman, appeared outta a closet. She wasn't hostile or anythin', she showed us some hidden shit in another house...Dunno what it means. Combs, some perfume, soap...but there wasn't a bath anywhere inside.
[ Izō shrugs. ]
Fuckin' weird.
no subject
Date: 2021-03-01 03:08 am (UTC)[ as far as the why's, he has no idea. he listens to what izō has to say about the crane in hopes that it might have a clue, or anything at all, that will shed further light on the strange situation he encountered. except all it does is make him cross his arms, ears tilting from side to side. ]
Did the crane have a pendant anywhere on its body? Similar to the ones we found on felled corpses.
[ if such a thing existed, then... were the occultists interested in attacking them through different means rather than directly? ]
no subject
Date: 2021-03-01 03:12 am (UTC)[ Izō is forgetting an important detail. His brow furrows for a moment as he tries to remember exactly what Lalli had been reading. ]
Th' book Lalli had...It mentioned somethin' about a noble family sacrificin' girls to some kinda lake spirit. Dunno if that means anythin' for anyone right now, either.
no subject
Date: 2021-03-01 03:39 am (UTC)[ to be fair, he said that out loud without even thinking about it. of course there's a chance they'll see others as monsters. it wouldn't be all that farfetched of an idea, but he can only assume he is grasping straws right now.
as for the book— ]
In any case, I wonder if this is related to what sort of ritual is waiting for us at the next shrine. A human sacrifice, from the sounds of it.
[ what a morbid thing to say with such a straight face. ]
no subject
Date: 2021-03-01 03:49 am (UTC)Probably...Better not expect us t' kill one'a ours, though.
[ He's gotten attached to some people here and is as loyal to the mask bearers as a whole as he's ever been to anything. Asking for the death of one is too much to ask. ]
no subject
Date: 2021-03-01 04:05 am (UTC)[ a heavy, weary sigh. just thinking about how many were willing to die for a cause they've yet to understand is enough to exhaust him. ]
It wouldn't be the first time that turned out to be the wrong answer.
[ this is as close to reassuring as he'll get, awkward as he is. ]
... I'm sure it'll be fine.
no subject
Date: 2021-03-01 04:12 am (UTC)Yeah, well...Whatever. Guess we'll find out when it happens. [ Right now, however... ] We gotta find others that met with this guy, too, and see what they found. See if any of it makes more sense together.
no subject
Date: 2021-03-01 04:23 am (UTC)Right. You're the first person I told, so I'll see what I can find out from others. [ ... ] Just be careful.
[ he just has a bad feeling about all this, and no matter what he does, it's hard to shake off. ]
no subject
Date: 2021-03-01 04:28 am (UTC)[ Of course he brushes off the concern. His arm would heal in time and, if anyone did try to come after him, he can defend himself. Izō can't accept that someone cares about him. ]
Worry 'bout yourself.
no subject
Date: 2021-03-01 04:48 am (UTC)[ if izō doesn't want to hear it, then six can at least respect that much. his voice is steady as ever, even if his ears dip down by a tiny bit. ]
Until next time.
[ he takes that as his cue to go. ]
no subject
Date: 2021-03-01 04:55 am (UTC)Whatever waited ahead was going to be dangerous...All they could do was prepare. ]