historicals | pc catchall | turboheaven

[ you know that meme where it's like "peasant is flavor blasted by doritos" that's kind of what's happening here

by which i mean, taair (who is no longer sexy) is holding a bottled soda of some kind in one hand. he's reading the label, examining it with all the curiosity you might expect, before he nods to himself.

and akihiko gets to see just as taair turns his hand to open the bottlecap, all the carbonation fizzes and it starts to go all over the place. ]

-- Ah! [ AH ] Oh, no -- !

[ help please ]

[Help he will! Akihiko had just entered and started looking through the aisles to try to find stuff, when he heard someone in distress. When he peered in, he saw Taair holding that soda fizzing all over the place. Well! Hopefully heaven cleans itself automatically or else this spot of the store will be pretty sticky.

For now, Akihiko just goes and presses the bottlecap down while Taair is still holding the bottle, forcing the fizz to stop coming out. It's pretty much a temporary measure -- takes only a couple seconds for the fizz to trickle out of the bottle despite that]

This is no good!

[He just puts it down on the floor, if Taair lets him]

Sorry. That's a lost cause.

[Let it fizz until it's done. The soda genie is out of the bottle, so to speak]

[ everything is so not fine. did you come to investigate, akihiko? taair is here doing much of the same, standing at the edge of the boardwalk with a deep frown on his face. when he hears footsteps, he glances over his shoulder, and despite everything, manages a soft smile in greeting. ]

...Hello, Akihiko...how are you doing, with the news...?

...that's a pointless question, isn't it?

[That sure is a response that says he's not doing all that well]

I have all this frustration and nowhere to direct it at.

I know it is, but... I think it's worth asking, nevertheless.

[ an invitation to talk about it, at the very least. ]

I can't lend much, but I would be happy to lend a listening ear.

I have never been much of a talking person. At times like these, if I don't get to actually doing something, I just...

[.......]

Despite that, Akihiko admits:]

Charlie was a good person. I'm convinced of that. It's unfair something happened to her at all.

[So much for not being much of a talking person! He pretty accepted Taair's invitation]

[ happy monday!! taair's watching the holidays change over curiously at sunset from outside of the library - he's got a book in his lap, and seems to just be as happy as happy can be. ]

I wonder what sort of celebration will be next...?

[Sorry for taking a bit to respond -- I needed to pace myself a little, yup.

Akihiko isn't really reading -- he was here only to give a cursory look at the books in case any of the titles stood out, but it really seemed like nothing was worth reading. He had been about to leave, when he heard Taair wondering about the joys of holidays in Whoville]

You know what the celebrations so far are?

[Because he's been spending the whole day answering questions of what's what. At this point, someone knowing these holidays is more surprising than someone knowing nothing about them]

[ man what a day.

after all of that, taair is out at the lighthouse - not at ground level, but up at the top, curled up with his chin on his knees. he doesn't seem particularly sad or upset - just deeply pensive, watching the waves.

he doesn't immediately see akihiko, but he is certainly welcome to come say hello. ]

[Ah, this is a good place to be alone. Akihiko has been here by himself, although it's not because he wanted to be alone, per se.

When he encounters someone up here he's not all that surprised]

Sorry. Want me to leave?

[Taair may not have seen Akihiko and therefore he could have left without a word, but he asks anyway because there's always a chance Taair may welcome company. That and also Akihiko doesn't really want to be alone right now]

[ enter the void i have not read locations

but a reflective surface shows a beautiful day in convallaria town, and a not-so-beautiful night.

[Ah...my, what a memory. It sure put in a nutshell what kind of person Taair is, and what he had desired and couldn't get. Akihiko watches, arms crossed, until it's over]

...did it get any better, Taair?

[Taair doesn't seem much older than he looked in the memory, he thinks. Perhaps...perhaps in the end Taair didn't get to have some of the freedom he hoped for, to not be in that birdcage he knows his position was]

[ what a question. did it get any better?

he takes a moment to tarry over what he wants to say. ]

It went to the way things were. [ and then offers akihiko a bit of a smile, rueful. ] But... it's nothing to worry over, my young friend. Don't trouble yourself over it.

[ a birdcage is safe, after all. ]

[In other words, it didn't get any better]

I'll try not to, but you probably can understand anyone would want to hear you got to do what you hoped for.

[Being a historian, and not being so trapped in his birdcage of duty and obligation -- and maybe even literal, I don't know enough about Sword of Convallaria not to think it might not be literal, haha]

[ he smiles a little further at that, and touches his heart. ]

Thank you, my young friend. The sentiment means the world to me, even still.

[ soft. ]

Fate, destiny... I suppose we are here to change things. So who knows? The future is currently wide open.

You already know how you want to change it?

[Are you already planning ahead, further than just coming back to life?]

[ oh - this makes him laugh, and he waves his hand. ]

Oh...goodness, no. Not at all. [ not at ALL ] But a hope for the future is not a bad thing.

I guess that's true! Having hope sometimes is all the fuel one needs to avoid falling into frustration.

[Akihiko frowns for a bit]

Although you don't seem like the kind of guy who would get frustrated.

[If there's any frustration it probably would be left aside, he's sure, because Taair doesn't seem like the sort to dwell in that]

[Hiiii, suddenly a text message]

Mind coming to the hospital?

[apropos of nothing indeed

i am really not all that subtle am i]

Oh, yes!
I was actually on my way there to pick up a few supplies... I'll be just a few minutes.

[ and sure enough! he'll head to the hospital, looking around... ]

Akihiko...?

Right here!

[Akihiko calls out from within one of the examination rooms. When Taair comes in, he'll find Akihiko already opening a first aid kit and taking out bandages.

He looks like a hell of a mess. His clothes are bloodied, and he's moving a little pained, hunched over slightly. No need to ask what happened, Taair, there's one huge neon sign spelling it out: the back of his head is still being grasped by a twitching skeleton hand.

Akihiko looks up]

Sorry for calling you all of a sudden. I know how to tend to some injuries, but I have so many I thought someone else helping would be good.

[Akihiko's mood is radiating resignation and badly concealed sadness]

Edited 2025-03-14 20:07 (UTC)

[ oh my god? ]

--Akihiko?! [ THE EMOTION OF HOLY SHIT???? taair is a very calm person, but even he cannot resist the What The Hell that swoops through his emotions as he rushes to his side, immediately going to the cabinets and starting to pull out bandages and stitching supplies. crisis mode takes over first. ]

-- Alright. Sit down on the cot and please remove your shirt - tell me where the worst of it is. [ that first ] And... we will need to have a much more serious discussion, as well, as I am sure you can imagine, but let us see the damage, first...

[That about the serious discussion sure increases the resigned vibes]

...please don't give me a whole speech. I already have enough scolding with myself.

[Akihiko requests, and he obeys as requested, removing all his topwear. Not looking great, chief! Looks like marauding enemies put their best effort to hurt Akihiko. Honestly? Given the circumstances, he has far less wounds than you'd think -- he doesn't have bruises except for a single small one that also bled externally, and he sure has like three or four puncture wound distributed on his upper body, one of them on his back. All of them seem superficial, though, but yeah, no wonder he was a little hunched over]

I know this isn't the time for someone else to be getting hurt, but...I really needed to let out some steam. I feel I'd be going mad if I didn't.

[He says that, starting to take tiny bone shards out of his knuckles and hands. Don't ever punch living skeletons with your bare hands, Taair, it's not a great idea]

[ boy howdy. okay. well. he will come to tend to him - looking over his injuries with a careful healer's eye. where's the small bruise and does it have any specific shape? also like. it bled externally?? is there a laceration or anything like that?

same with the punctures. are they big or small? in any specific pattern or just kind of everywhere? taair will get the disinfectant, and brings over a little plate for him to set down so akihiko can take out the bone shards and drop them in there. his eyes go up to the hand, but that can. chill out there for now. ]

...Considering the circumstances, I am going to take pictures. I would like to make sure there's a record.

[ which he will do very quickly if akihiko consents, giving off softly concerned vibes under all of that calm. once that's out of the way, he'll pour some of the disinfectant out to a cotton pad. ]

This may sting. [ a soft warning, tone gentle and a little apologetic before he does start to disinfect his injuries.] I will not scold you evermuch, but... I need you to tell me exactly what happened, when you went, where you went, and... were you alone?

Edited 2025-03-14 20:42 (UTC)

I get why you'd want that. Go ahead.

[Yeah, he very patiently lets Taair take as many pictures as he can want. Better have a record, especially for the inevitable strip check that's bound to happen. It's been happening every week, after all! Fingers crossed he doesn't end up having to contribute.

No pattern! It's pretty much what you'd expect to see if you were outnumbered and attacked from the front. Iiiii admit I didn't think up the details, haha, I'm just realizing I probably will have to for the trial. Oh well, I got myself into this, I better commit to it]

I was by myself. I woke up, I saw I was alone, I found out who was dead, and next I knew, I was running towards that dungeon in Candyland. I stayed there for a couple hours, just fighting anything I encountered. I wanted to get rid of all the helplessness I felt from seeing Majima and Zoph were dead.

[Akihiko takes the disinfectant with a lot of stoicism, at least!]

...I thought by now I'd be getting used to the murders, but I haven't at all. Damn it, some would laugh if they knew.

Edited 2025-03-14 20:49 (UTC)

[ hm. well. he doesn't seem to react much besides a soft hum - his emotions stay very steady, though perhaps that steadiness is on purpose, and he cleans the injuries up dutifully. do these injuries seem consistent with ones made by weapons? or by skeleton hands?? ]

... my young friend, you must understand that with no one to verify the majority of your story, this is very, very troubling.

[ he won't lie or try to sugarcoat it - there's sympathy in his voice, though, and it's genuine. ]

Have you told anyone else? And where did you sleep, last night?

I get it! Look, I know very well I'm pretty much putting myself as a suspect before even the trial starts. I'm not clueless.

[He can't help but snap that a little, very briefly a burst of annoyance popping up. Akihiko takes a deep breath, staring at his knuckles.

Okay, let's say the injuries are pretty varied. The bruise was from falling onto one of the statues in the dungeon, let's say, and the rest, yeah, generally consistent with skeleton hands -- especially because pretty much all the injuries he has here and on his arms except for that bruise have little bone splinters on them]

Some of them had bone clubs. Turns out bone is a more damaging material than you'd think, especially if the club breaks. It can be rather sharp.

[Really, all things considered, Akihiko probably is lucky he didn't end up bedridden]

...I was at the soda bar. With Majima. We were the only ones there. You're pretty much the first person I have talked to all day, so no, nobody else knows. Yet. Feel free to tell anyone you want to.

[It's not much of a secret that Akihiko has been really hit hard whenever he curfews with a victim, and this time not only that but Ali also died. Yup, not a fun awakening, that was]

Edited 2025-03-14 21:02 (UTC)

[ the snap doesn't seem to bother him much - he doesn't even flinch, and just carries on cleaning his injuries, listening quietly. each one is carefully bandaged - he picks up a pair of tweezers at some point to help with the shards. I FORGOT TO ASK does he have bruising on his knuckles as well?

hearing he was alone with one of the victims makes him close his eyes, briefly, where he can't be seen. ]

...I see. [ alright!!! well. there's no judgement in his emotions at the very least, just that concern and worry. taair is not the sort to pass judgement on match of anything, but it is very worrying. ] It's something we'll have to check against similar weaponry... [ looking. up at the skeleton hand. ]

And.. I would highly recommend letting one of the others get a look in a few hours as well. I'll hold onto the bone shards and the hand for you, just to be sure.

[ once he gets it off his head. poor guy. ]

Tell me, have you done anything like this before? I know it is always hard, to lose one of our own.

Edited 2025-03-14 21:09 (UTC)

[Yeah, his knuckles now are rather bloody and bruised. The blood still trickles out, really, there hasn't been any clotting at all. Akihiko pries the skeleton hand off, and lets it fall into the tray with the bone shards]

Jiaoqiu, maybe?

[Honestly I messaged Flurry and handwaved an encounter about this, haha, so yeah, guess that works. There really aren't many healers who didn't go to a CYOA and therefore Akihiko could bother, haha]

...I went into boxing in the first place because I lost someone very important to me, so yeah. You could say I have been doing something like this before for many years already. Still doing it.

Edited 2025-03-14 21:22 (UTC)

Yes... I will be honest, I would have shared this with him anyway. I am sure you already know that it would likely be wise not to hide it from anyone - while many of your injuries are on your torso, the bandages on your hands will be obvious. It would be wise to tell someone who is not a doctor, too.

[ considering the bloody knuckles. he will check to make sure the skeleton hand didn't cause him any adverse damage to his scalp, briefly looking for claws or bumps or bruises or anything else painful, and then move on to cleaning up his knuckles. ]

I'm sorry for your loss. Truly. [ taair says, softly - his sympathy is genuine, and he meets his gaze briefly to ensure the meaning is caught, then resumes. ] And... I wish that we did not have to meet such actions of coping with suspicion.

[ that's genuine, too. he gets it, kind of. not a fighter, but he can see what he means. ] Though... I meant here, more so.

[No damage on his head, thank goodness]

Here? Pretty much. I had punched a wall and got to the first trial still with bruises from that.

[ nods... ]

And did anyone see you do that, then...? And you've not done it any time since?

No. Nobody was with me when I did that. I prefer not to have other people around when I'm doing something I shouldn't. Marcoh and Firefly found about it during the trial, though.

[Fortunately for him, some hand bruises didn't put him into any suspicion back then]

I haven't since then.

Alright.

[ that puts a little frown on his face, but he nods - emotions rippling through something thoughtful, pensive, as he picks out a few more bone shards and carefully smooths some ointment over his knuckles. ]

...Thank you for your honesty, Akihiko.

...cooperating is all I can do now. Odds are I'll have to repeat all this during the trial, anyway.

[Akihiko murmurs. Other than the brief bout of annoyance from earlier, there's still this constant feel of powerlessness, but after a moment, gratitude fights its way to the surface]

But thanks. After I got my head cleared a little, I wasn't sure I should be alone. If anything, I'm glad you accepted to get here.

[Leaving aside that Akihiko knew bandaging himself would only bring a myriad of questions during the trial if he had no backup as to when or what this happened, he's glad those with medical knowledge have the kind of personalities that make them unlikely to confront him when he's feeling at his lowest right now]

pc catchall | turboheaven | akihiko

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