WHO: Okada Izou and "friends". WHAT: Catch-all for TDM/event prompts. WHERE: Various sites around Kyoto. WHEN: Most of May. WARNINGS: Animal gore, BDSM talk???. Will update as necessary.
[ for the record, she was curious. she's at an unfamiliar place on the map, and she wanted company -- or rather someone else who'd watch her back as she explores what appears to be the remains of a fishing village. it may look neglected now from years of being abandoned, but even ishmael could tell that this place used to be beautiful.
it's such a shame. she could barely hear izou's question as a stray thunderclap drowns out his voice for a hot second, but it's fine. she's got him. ]
At least three years. [ she sounds noncommittal, at least. #coolsailorfacts. ] But it may as well felt longer than that. It would take a while for most sailors to get used to solid ground again after being rocked by the treacherous sea.
[ she turns her head slightly towards the ocean. while kyoto's bay is free of orca blood, it's still deemed unsafe to swim in. once again, what a shame. she can't help but let out a drawn-out sigh at that. ]
Guess we'll never see how this seaside would look like without all this debris...
( --is all he thinks to say at first, not at all perturbed by the sudden crack of thunder. three years stranded on the ocean sounds like a long damn time to izou, and as he tries to picture what that's like... he fails, really.
but what really pings him out here under the crestfallen sky is how little he's ever asked ishmael, and how little she's ever asked of him. if she knew more about him, or what he'd been keeping from her unintentionally, would she...
... ugh. this shit is really starting to throw him off.
he bites back the anxiety, because this is a completely different situation here, and as the wind picks up, threading through his hair and hers, izou narrows an eye as he observes what was probably a bustling port ages ago. probably. he didn't have much reason to be cavorting about the market here in an age where his blade was needed elsewhere. )
Was just curious 'cause I... you remember me mentionin' how I used to play in the waves and all as a brat? It was always with this friend 'a mine back then, this "Sakamoto Ryouma" guy. All that asshole could ever talk about was wantin' to sail his own boat and be a seafarer.
Edited (my first phone tag...) 2024-05-04 17:58 (UTC)
[ it's a habit she had since her sailor days; the unspoken taboo about asking too much of a fellow seafarer's life seems to hold a lot of water for some of the people she's met here so far. most outsiders see neo tokyo as a way to start their life over, among other things, and ishmael may be one of those people. she's fine not knowing what her coworkers have got going on with their lives prior to coming here, nor will she seek it out herself.
but izou brings up a new name, and ishmael's attention is instantly piqued. ]
I seem to remember that, yeah.
[ their thing at the pool felt like ages ago, honestly. the wind picks up a bit, and ishmael tucks a lock of hair behind her ear. ]
( and there it is, coming out easy even if he can hear his pulse in his ears when he speaks of the past. it comes out easy and not even forced, and maybe this just verifies even further why he kept quiet around a certain pink-haired extrovert in the first place.
that he didn't dread ishmael knowing, or hurting her feelings much like he thought it might with march, and the different sentiment unfurls as he stands there growing inwardly sheepish over his own realization that, attraction aside, most of what he feels for ishmael is what he might've felt for his comrades early on in the party. that they had each other's back, and that was all he really needed.
the wind picks up, and waves begin to lap lightly against the pier. )
Not that I was alive to see it. This place has certainly changed, but a good deal of it feels the same.
[ and him not being alive to see it... it's a weird comment, something that takes a while for ishmael to click in her head as she looks over at the ocean - mostly out of habit more than anything.
and with yet another thunderclap piercing through the sky, she widens her eyes as she turns back to izou with a slow realization. at least she has a more subdued expression rather than being literally (and metaphorically) shocked. ]
That's the gist of it. Don't get me wrong though. I'm not lookin' for pity or anything soft like that. It's just...
( clouds continue to pass, and once again the fiery red of ishmael's hair is a striking sight in the forefront of all this destruction, enough to give him pause. )
Just been on my mind lately that we've been watchin' each other's backs for so long, and I... don't know much longer that's gonna be, so I oughta let you know. Not that I'm rushin' to die again like I told ya. I'm too damn strong for that.
( he bends over to pick up a discarded cigarette, scratching the butt with a nail. if only there was a matching lighter. )
I know you aren't looking for pity, so don't worry about that.
[ it's the last thing people like them want, anyway.
his words give her pause after that, and after thinking it over for a moment, a wan smile spreads across her face. jeez, he's so open now. to think that getting him to open up a couple months back is like pulling teeth sometimes. ]
And I appreciate that. I've seen you fight plenty of times, so whatever took you out must have been something more unconventional.
[ but she won't press what it is for now. death is such a touchy topic for most people, her included, and since izou has come out and said it, she... may as well repay the favor. ]
Besides, you aren't the only one who died before. [ she swallows. ] I'm not allowed to elaborate too much on it, but I've died and come back to life plenty of times before. Well, until I arrived here, that is.
( honestly, his chest swells a little with pride at hearing ishmael acknowledge his ability out-loud. and it's not like they've ever doubted or given each other a hard time at this point on the field of battle or anything, but... it still feels good to hear, her assumption that whatever happened to him must've been out of the ordinary. that he had to be put down, essentially.
what he didn't expect, though, is what she says afterwards.
he tosses that cigarette back onto the wood. )
Whaddya mean, you can't talk about it much? It's your own life.
Contractual reasons. I'm not too keen on finding out what happens if I talk too much about it, even if I'm in a different world right now.
[ the City takes its contracts very seriously, resulting in immediate death if it's violated in any way. and since ishmael only has one life now, she's not about to risk that. ]
But enough about me. [ the wind picks up again, enough to summon seaspray upon the docks. ] Were you also in those history books? Can I look you up right now?
[ in her implants, she means. but asking the guy himself would be better, she thinks. there's only so much historians can record about a person. ]
( contractual, huh. well, whatever. everyone's got their own circumstances, and if it's really that serious he won't press.
there isn't a need to, anyhow. not right now. )
Don't see why you can't. Who I offed, who offed me—all 'a what made me famous should be in there, or what LILITH saw fit to keep in their database. It's not like that history's gonna up and vanish... unless we fail at savin' this timeline, I guess.
( a beat, as izou shoves his hands back into his pockets. his one-eyed gaze flits up as droplets of water start to hit the ground. )
Have you... told anyone else, 'bout you dyin' and all?
I mean, yeah. I could do that and end our conversation right here. But I think I'd rather hear it from the guy himself, you know? Written history still has its own biases.
[ he could be painted as a bad guy, for all she knows. not that it ever mattered to her. whatever he did back home, he still saved her life that day. that's more than enough. ]
Just a handful. I think you're the fourth one. It doesn't really matter now since I can die again while I'm here, but I don't feel like spreading it around. Much like how you don't want your untimely death to be a well-known fact around here either.
[ the drizzle starts nice and slow, her frizzing hair becoming damp the more they stay here. ishmael holds her hand up as a futile attempt for cover. ]
Come on, let's go over there. [ to a dilapidated covered bench just a couple of steps away. wouldn't want to catch a cold and all. ]
that's something that can happen now, with bodies that actually feel how cool the droplets of rain are on their skin.
he'll take a seat next to ishmael without complaint, albeit separated by a couple inches. this conversation is the picture of good intentions, a something that'd been coming for a while now, yet it still makes him uneasy to be so open even now. )
Here I thought this was a new start, but now I'm learnin' there are plenty going through the same thing. Funny how things work out.
( a beat, as he listens to the rain pelt against their cover. )
You think... You're gonna remember any of this, if we manage to save this place? This timeline?
[ she doesn't mind the distance. the view of the gray seascape looks nice from here - perfect for conversations like the one they're having right now.
his talk of timelines, though... she'll poke about that in a bit. for now, she shakes her head. ]
Probably not. I don't know how most of their tech works, but it'd be too optimistic to assume that we can just remember what transpired here.
[ her other selves in various mirror worlds aren't aware that there are alternate worlds, even. there will be a very special case in the future, but ishmael is going to play it safe here. ]
But that's why we have to cherish what we have now, in this world. [ she leans further back into her seat. ] If we're really delving into timeline talk, then... I like to believe that whatever happens in this one is for this Ishmael to have. Not for the ones from back home.
( ishmael is so well-put together when answering that he can hardly think she's the same person as months ago, the one laying as still as a corpse in the sand, a terrified gaze boring holes into something unseen.
he rubs a thumb against his wrist, nodding slowly in response. )
Makes sense enough. Guess it's better to live in the moment, these moments some of us never had.
( then izou rolls his neck, mouth sulky as he speaks. )
... I really gotta stop dwelling on all this crap so much, though. It's makin' me soft.
I think that's not the only reason you're becoming softer, Izou.
[ half fond, half deadpan. she's not the only one who's changed since then. having more positive influences definitely helped.
but, well. she's going to give the guy a little break since the two girls whose names start with the letter M don't give him anyway, so she's going to reroute this topic right back. ]
( it comes out fonder than before, almost on accident, and that pains him more than he thought it would. sakamoto. he should've mimicked what she said, and just said sakamoto. sakamoto. sakamoto ryouma, the hero. sakamoto ryouma, the man with a dream grander than anyone else's. not ryouma, the man who went and abandoned them. not ryouma, the boy who sobbed himself silly when tripping over a sharp rock.
he turns her question over in his head, realizing it was easier just to bring him up as a lead-in to another topic. he didn't think he'd have to... )
Like I said. We grew up together. But that all changed the day he— ( and his brow furrows, unable to choke down the sudden irritation, ) —went and abandoned us without a word. Left us on account 'a his dreams or whatever. ... Look. You'll get more about him from a book than ya will from me. Half the shit he's done happened after I died, anyhow.
( he kicks forward onto his feet, heavy droplets plodding against his skin and hair. )
[ she could let that go for now. it's a touch topic, and ishmael would react the same way if someone were to bug her for very personal details. but even she can sense that tone of hurt in his voice - maybe even a little more than betrayed about his friend's decision. izou isn't usually the type to declare friendship right off the bat, so this guy must've hurt him that much.
all she can do is sigh through her nose, leaning back on her seat to continue watching the solemn view before them. ]
I guess he's more fortunate that way. Most people aren't even that important enough to have their story written in some book. [ she thinks about her friends that are now at the bottom of the sea, and clenches her fist. ] Do you think... he thought of you while he was away?
"i'm real sorry about this, izou-san," is the first thing that comes to mind, that casual dismissal of his outrage in the white halls of chaldea when they were first re-united. he just stood there and apologized, that damn serpent woman and her ruby-red eyes staring holes into the both of them. apologized with a smile reminiscent of those times when he did return, the two of them so distant in their ambitions at that point even if izou would've run to be at ryouma's side if he'd wanted in a heartbeat, and ryouma knew that. but things between them had grown too distant, and ryouma, too, had started to act like izou wouldn't understand a single thing that was going on or how the country was changing.
he didn't like it, that smile—not now, not then, not ever. ryouma must've known that too, a hand, weaker than the expression on his face, clenched in the pocket it was stuffed into.
so, no. he didn't think ryouma thought of him back then, at least not in the way that izou wanted him to, and now... even with the occasional mission they'd been forced to undertake together, it was hard not to feel like a blade was being twisted into him every time they spoke. )
... Don't matter if he did. All that's long over and done with.
( he practically spits out the answer, clearly growing annoyed with the way this conversation has veered. )
Storm's 'bout to be worse than it looks. Let's hurry on back to that base before we get washed out.
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synflux2024-04-30 06:51 pm
no subject
it's such a shame. she could barely hear izou's question as a stray thunderclap drowns out his voice for a hot second, but it's fine. she's got him. ]
At least three years. [ she sounds noncommittal, at least. #coolsailorfacts. ] But it may as well felt longer than that. It would take a while for most sailors to get used to solid ground again after being rocked by the treacherous sea.
[ she turns her head slightly towards the ocean. while kyoto's bay is free of orca blood, it's still deemed unsafe to swim in. once again, what a shame. she can't help but let out a drawn-out sigh at that. ]
Guess we'll never see how this seaside would look like without all this debris...
no subject
( --is all he thinks to say at first, not at all perturbed by the sudden crack of thunder. three years stranded on the ocean sounds like a long damn time to izou, and as he tries to picture what that's like... he fails, really.
but what really pings him out here under the crestfallen sky is how little he's ever asked ishmael, and how little she's ever asked of him. if she knew more about him, or what he'd been keeping from her unintentionally, would she...
... ugh. this shit is really starting to throw him off.
he bites back the anxiety, because this is a completely different situation here, and as the wind picks up, threading through his hair and hers, izou narrows an eye as he observes what was probably a bustling port ages ago. probably. he didn't have much reason to be cavorting about the market here in an age where his blade was needed elsewhere. )
Was just curious 'cause I... you remember me mentionin' how I used to play in the waves and all as a brat? It was always with this friend 'a mine back then, this "Sakamoto Ryouma" guy. All that asshole could ever talk about was wantin' to sail his own boat and be a seafarer.
no subject
but izou brings up a new name, and ishmael's attention is instantly piqued. ]
I seem to remember that, yeah.
[ their thing at the pool felt like ages ago, honestly. the wind picks up a bit, and ishmael tucks a lock of hair behind her ear. ]
Did this Ryouma guy ever got what he wanted?
no subject
( and there it is, coming out easy even if he can hear his pulse in his ears when he speaks of the past. it comes out easy and not even forced, and maybe this just verifies even further why he kept quiet around a certain pink-haired extrovert in the first place.
that he didn't dread ishmael knowing, or hurting her feelings much like he thought it might with march, and the different sentiment unfurls as he stands there growing inwardly sheepish over his own realization that, attraction aside, most of what he feels for ishmael is what he might've felt for his comrades early on in the party. that they had each other's back, and that was all he really needed.
the wind picks up, and waves begin to lap lightly against the pier. )
Not that I was alive to see it. This place has certainly changed, but a good deal of it feels the same.
no subject
[ and him not being alive to see it... it's a weird comment, something that takes a while for ishmael to click in her head as she looks over at the ocean - mostly out of habit more than anything.
and with yet another thunderclap piercing through the sky, she widens her eyes as she turns back to izou with a slow realization. at least she has a more subdued expression rather than being literally (and metaphorically) shocked. ]
...You were already dead before coming here.
[ so LILITH is capable of that... ]
no subject
( clouds continue to pass, and once again the fiery red of ishmael's hair is a striking sight in the forefront of all this destruction, enough to give him pause. )
Just been on my mind lately that we've been watchin' each other's backs for so long, and I... don't know much longer that's gonna be, so I oughta let you know. Not that I'm rushin' to die again like I told ya. I'm too damn strong for that.
( he bends over to pick up a discarded cigarette, scratching the butt with a nail. if only there was a matching lighter. )
no subject
[ it's the last thing people like them want, anyway.
his words give her pause after that, and after thinking it over for a moment, a wan smile spreads across her face. jeez, he's so open now. to think that getting him to open up a couple months back is like pulling teeth sometimes. ]
And I appreciate that. I've seen you fight plenty of times, so whatever took you out must have been something more unconventional.
[ but she won't press what it is for now. death is such a touchy topic for most people, her included, and since izou has come out and said it, she... may as well repay the favor. ]
Besides, you aren't the only one who died before. [ she swallows. ] I'm not allowed to elaborate too much on it, but I've died and come back to life plenty of times before. Well, until I arrived here, that is.
no subject
what he didn't expect, though, is what she says afterwards.
he tosses that cigarette back onto the wood. )
Whaddya mean, you can't talk about it much? It's your own life.
no subject
[ the City takes its contracts very seriously, resulting in immediate death if it's violated in any way. and since ishmael only has one life now, she's not about to risk that. ]
But enough about me. [ the wind picks up again, enough to summon seaspray upon the docks. ] Were you also in those history books? Can I look you up right now?
[ in her implants, she means. but asking the guy himself would be better, she thinks. there's only so much historians can record about a person. ]
no subject
there isn't a need to, anyhow. not right now. )
Don't see why you can't. Who I offed, who offed me—all 'a what made me famous should be in there, or what LILITH saw fit to keep in their database. It's not like that history's gonna up and vanish... unless we fail at savin' this timeline, I guess.
( a beat, as izou shoves his hands back into his pockets. his one-eyed gaze flits up as droplets of water start to hit the ground. )
Have you... told anyone else, 'bout you dyin' and all?
no subject
[ he could be painted as a bad guy, for all she knows. not that it ever mattered to her. whatever he did back home, he still saved her life that day. that's more than enough. ]
Just a handful. I think you're the fourth one. It doesn't really matter now since I can die again while I'm here, but I don't feel like spreading it around. Much like how you don't want your untimely death to be a well-known fact around here either.
[ the drizzle starts nice and slow, her frizzing hair becoming damp the more they stay here. ishmael holds her hand up as a futile attempt for cover. ]
Come on, let's go over there. [ to a dilapidated covered bench just a couple of steps away. wouldn't want to catch a cold and all. ]
no subject
that's something that can happen now, with bodies that actually feel how cool the droplets of rain are on their skin.
he'll take a seat next to ishmael without complaint, albeit separated by a couple inches. this conversation is the picture of good intentions, a something that'd been coming for a while now, yet it still makes him uneasy to be so open even now. )
Here I thought this was a new start, but now I'm learnin' there are plenty going through the same thing. Funny how things work out.
( a beat, as he listens to the rain pelt against their cover. )
You think... You're gonna remember any of this, if we manage to save this place? This timeline?
no subject
his talk of timelines, though... she'll poke about that in a bit. for now, she shakes her head. ]
Probably not. I don't know how most of their tech works, but it'd be too optimistic to assume that we can just remember what transpired here.
[ her other selves in various mirror worlds aren't aware that there are alternate worlds, even. there will be a very special case in the future, but ishmael is going to play it safe here. ]
But that's why we have to cherish what we have now, in this world. [ she leans further back into her seat. ] If we're really delving into timeline talk, then... I like to believe that whatever happens in this one is for this Ishmael to have. Not for the ones from back home.
Does that make sense?
no subject
he rubs a thumb against his wrist, nodding slowly in response. )
Makes sense enough. Guess it's better to live in the moment, these moments some of us never had.
( then izou rolls his neck, mouth sulky as he speaks. )
... I really gotta stop dwelling on all this crap so much, though. It's makin' me soft.
no subject
[ half fond, half deadpan. she's not the only one who's changed since then. having more positive influences definitely helped.
but, well. she's going to give the guy a little break since the two girls whose names start with the letter M don't give him anyway, so she's going to reroute this topic right back. ]
Tell me more about this Sakamoto guy.
no subject
( it comes out fonder than before, almost on accident, and that pains him more than he thought it would. sakamoto. he should've mimicked what she said, and just said sakamoto. sakamoto. sakamoto ryouma, the hero. sakamoto ryouma, the man with a dream grander than anyone else's. not ryouma, the man who went and abandoned them. not ryouma, the boy who sobbed himself silly when tripping over a sharp rock.
he turns her question over in his head, realizing it was easier just to bring him up as a lead-in to another topic. he didn't think he'd have to... )
Like I said. We grew up together. But that all changed the day he— ( and his brow furrows, unable to choke down the sudden irritation, ) —went and abandoned us without a word. Left us on account 'a his dreams or whatever. ... Look. You'll get more about him from a book than ya will from me. Half the shit he's done happened after I died, anyhow.
( he kicks forward onto his feet, heavy droplets plodding against his skin and hair. )
no subject
all she can do is sigh through her nose, leaning back on her seat to continue watching the solemn view before them. ]
I guess he's more fortunate that way. Most people aren't even that important enough to have their story written in some book. [ she thinks about her friends that are now at the bottom of the sea, and clenches her fist. ] Do you think... he thought of you while he was away?
[ me being seated for the ryouma/izou agenda ]
no subject
the question makes his entire body tense up.
"i'm real sorry about this, izou-san," is the first thing that comes to mind, that casual dismissal of his outrage in the white halls of chaldea when they were first re-united. he just stood there and apologized, that damn serpent woman and her ruby-red eyes staring holes into the both of them. apologized with a smile reminiscent of those times when he did return, the two of them so distant in their ambitions at that point even if izou would've run to be at ryouma's side if he'd wanted in a heartbeat, and ryouma knew that. but things between them had grown too distant, and ryouma, too, had started to act like izou wouldn't understand a single thing that was going on or how the country was changing.
he didn't like it, that smile—not now, not then, not ever. ryouma must've known that too, a hand, weaker than the expression on his face, clenched in the pocket it was stuffed into.
so, no. he didn't think ryouma thought of him back then, at least not in the way that izou wanted him to, and now... even with the occasional mission they'd been forced to undertake together, it was hard not to feel like a blade was being twisted into him every time they spoke. )
... Don't matter if he did. All that's long over and done with.
( he practically spits out the answer, clearly growing annoyed with the way this conversation has veered. )
Storm's 'bout to be worse than it looks. Let's hurry on back to that base before we get washed out.