Entry 004

[chippedsoul]

Characters: Kazuma Asougi [Jekyll/Hyde]
Campaign: Break
Format: [ brackets ]
Open
Summary: Catch-All for the Break


A - The Doctor is out [Network]

I will not be meeting with clients in person until further notice. If you must make an inquiry for some medicine, use the journal to contact me. I will let you know when it's ready to be picked up.

-Disciple

B- A nightly stroll in the forest

[Anyone who happens to be wandering around or living in the forest, might hear a disturbance during the nighttime. It doesn't occur every night, but when it does, it sounded like someone was cutting down the trees. There's also a low rumbling like thunder that occasionally accompanied the sound afterwards, like a rhythmic thumping. Looking into the source, they will find themselves at the edge of the Index. The ground appeared unstable, with trees uprooted and large boulders that have been split into smaller pieces scattering about the area.

This warzone was only found along the edge of the Index, and every few nights, a new area would turn into a disaster area. If someone manages to catch the person in the act, it turns out to be the Disciple, or was it the Disciple? The low rumbling noise was from him ramming trees into the barrier or throwing boulders at it. Whatever he could pick up and throw, which was almost anything, he was directing them at the barrier. A few times he was crazy enough to punch the barrier.] I need...to go... [If you manage to get in close enough, you can hear him mumbling about going somewhere. It doesn't seem like he's quite all there himself. Are those pajamas he's wearing?]

C-Wildcard
[This post is for the entirety of the break, so feel free to poke me on Discord or silentdrifterz if there's something else you want to play out instead or make your own starter!]

Comments

[ricebird]

[No body anymore... And with that he called himself, that seems like a stupidly cruel joke. Her steps begin to falter, but she looks to him, tears streaming from behind her glasses again.]

I'm so sorry, Roxas-kun... I'm sorry... It's not fair...

[She's not even sure what else to SAY to that, what else to DO. How can he be so CALM about something like that? How can he be so sure that he was less deserving of life just because he wasn't the original?]

[twilightskey]

[Oh no. Oh no, he hadn't meant to make her cry. He stops mid-step, reaching out to her with his good arm.]

H-Hey, wait... I-I didn't mean to make you cry..!

[He was trying to just talk to her, not make her more upset!]

[ricebird]

[The second Roxas makes contact, she pulls him into a hug. Still careful of his arm, but only barely, arms tight and shaking with her sobs.]

I'm the one that should be comforting you... You don't have to be okay with any of that, Roxas-kun. You deserve to live as much as anyone else, no matter where you come from... You're not nobody...

[twilightskey]

[The sudden hug was entirely unexpected, and Roxas goes still when she pulls him into it. He hissed a bit in pain, but when her words reached him, he stiffened, his breath catching. Those words echo in his mind, and remind him of something very similar he was told in the depths of Sora's heart.]

["Roxas, you're you. We're not the same. I wanted to tell you that. That you deserve as much as I do to be your own person."]

[Strange, how someone completely unrelated to him, who's only known him while he was here, would echo words said by his Somebody. After several long heartbeats he lets out a shaky breath, his good arm coming up to somewhat awkwardly wrap around her.]

[ricebird]

[She just keeps holding him, not wanting to tighten the hug too much in case it hurts him more. Everything tonight has been too much. Hyde hurting Roxas, Shizuo trusting her with his care when she has NO idea what to do, the chance that Shizuo OR Disciple could be hurt just as badly if it turned int a fight, even the pain that the Disciple will likely feel when he learns what happened... And now, learning that one of her best friends doesn't even consider himself human? That he's DEAD at home, or something close enough to it?

It's all she can do to just... let her grief take her and ride it out instead of bottling it in... And at least this way... she can be there for Roxas too, even if she can't do anything else.]

[twilightskey]

[He genuinely feels bad for speaking up, and letting Kotori know the truth about him. After everything that went on tonight with Disciple, and Hyde, and Shizuo... he's really regretting telling her about his existence as a Nobody. But all he can do right now is hold onto her, his good arm slowly rubbing her back.]

[He wants to apologize, but the words don't come out. He just keeps holding her, letting her let her emotions out. Tonight was... not a good night for any of them.]

[ricebird]

[Funny he should think that... because after a few minutes, Kotori's sobs finally begin to slow. She's not done crying yet, but it's enough that she can look away and TRY an apologetic smile at the boy.]

I'm sorry. [For what happened to him and for breaking down. But...] Thank you... for trusting me with that...

[twilightskey]

[RTher than feel reassured by the words, Roxas balks.]

Wh... No, I should apologize to you. I-I didn't mean to make you feel worse, and after everything that happened tonight...

[ricebird]

[A shake of her head.]

Don't apologize for that. I wanted to know, and... I'm kind of glad that I do, even if it was something painful. It means you trust me, and that means a lot. And that can't have been easy to say; I have a REALLY hard time saying when things bother me, so I can appreciate that.

[twilightskey]

[Roxas can only stare at her for a moment, both surprised and touched by her words. It was sort of similar to hearing Sora say as much, only it felt different because Kotori hadn't known about him or his backstory. He slowly nods to her.]

Okay.

...thanks for hearing me out, Kotori.

[ricebird]

[A nod of her own as a faint smile returns.]

Any time.

[And she means it too.

She lets out another sigh.]

So... let's see if we can find someone to fix your arm.

[hatesviolence]

[At some point, Kotori will be receiving the long awaited message from Shizuo:]

Found Disciple. We're all right and I'm taking him home.

How's Roxas?

[twilightskey]

Okay.

[Roxas nods, and follows Kotori out into town. It's going to be tricky, finding someone to fix his arm, but they'll manage... or so he hopes.]

[While they look, he notices Kotori's journal ping.]

Hey, I think you have a message.

[ricebird]

[Huh. Oh yeah, things that aren't HNNNG-degree feels.]

Oh, it's Shizuo-san!

[Halle-freaking-lujah! Oh wait, better write back.]

Thank goodness! I'm REALLY glad you two are alright, and thank you SO much for keeping your promise, Shizuo-san.

We're doing okay. Still looking for a place, but it should be going a little faster now.

[She'll let Roxas decide whether to elaborate on the talk, or on its contents. That's a lot of info to lay on someone after all, and she wouldn't blame Roxas is he wanted to keep it secret.]

[hatesviolence]

If you need any help let me know. I'll be back in town soon.

[After he makes sure Disciple is okay, of course, but after that...he does want to check on the kids, too.]

[ricebird]

Okay. Let me know if you need any help too.

[Or... she'll try at least. She has her hands a bit full with Roxas at the moment (and if it weren't for the arm, she'd offer his help too), and there's not much she can do, but she wants to make sure Shizuo isn't left hanging on anything either.

Once she's done writing, she turns to Roxas with a VERY relieved face.]

Phew... I'm so glad they're okay...

[twilightskey]

They're okay?

[That lifts a weight from Roxas's shoulders as well. He lets out a sigh, relief clear on his face.]

I'm glad... and it sounds like no one else got hurt.

[ricebird]

[A nod, and she tilts the journal over to Roxas for him to read the recent conversation.]

It looks like it... And Shizuo-san's making sure Disciple-san gets home safely.

[twilightskey]

[He reads over the conversation, nodding.]

Good. Then we don't have anything to worry about.