KAIJU FIGHT #7

[synfluxmods]

KAIJU FIGHT #7

CONTENT WARNINGS: death, mummies, quicksand, organ harvesting, nightmares, gun violence, survival scenario

▶ 001. EGYPTIAN DINNER.

As the days go on, more and more evidence begins to show that the kaiju is, indeed, hiding out somewhere deep within the desert, approximately in the West area around the Qattara Depression. LILITH’s crew embarks first with all of their supplies to set up a temporary base in the ruined city of El Alamein, a small city at the edge of the desert. Outsiders are requested to wait there until further instructions, and this temporary base will be a safe haven if things get too treacherous. After all, even after all of their research, who knows what this monster is capable of doing?

Once the base is set up, Outsiders will move out, either on their camel or other means they may have to arrive at the base. The days continue to grow shorter, nighttime beginning to descend as early as 3 PM. Outsiders will also be highly recommended to consume the cyber caffeine once again as its effects from the plane ride are beginning to wear off. To their surprise, when the Outsiders arrive, a large buffet of Egyptian food will be waiting for them. Koshari, shawarma, falafel and Egyptian stew will be served. All fresh and natural ingredients! Everyone settle in and dine together… it could be the last meal you have.

LILITH suggests waiting until there is more sunlight before they hunt down the kaiju. Outsiders can rest, but do not sleep! Maybe wait for the sunrise together? Find other ways to kill some time? Maybe there are new Outsiders that would like to know about the previous kaijus? As the sun begins to rise, it paints the most beautiful sunrise that maybe Outsiders have ever seen. Were some of those new colors in the sky? How romantic.

▶ 002. QUICK AS SAND.

After the sun rises, Outsiders and LILITH prepare to leave the temporary base and head further towards the Qattara Depression. The trek starts out pretty easy, but the geography soon gets more and more dangerous, leading into what seems to be a large crevice in the Earth. Captain Yamakawa gives a report once the Outsiders have reached this area:

“Angels of LILITH, we have evidence that this area is filled with many sand crocodiles. We have supplied everyone with more shotguns and ammo, but use any other means to keep yourself safe. We have received evidence that the kaiju is in this general area. Keep alert! Who knows what sorts of powers it possesses that we may not know about!”

While it’s true that the area does contain many sand crocodiles popping out and spitting embers, there is no sight of any other kaiju. Yet, all evidence points to the fact that it is here. The rift energy is immense in this location, and those exposed may be hit with nightmares, bad memory sharing or a weakness to sunlight. As characters move along, following Yamakawa’s lead on her camel, those with keen hearing will detect it before anyone else: moaning, groaning. Sounds of agony, all coming from beneath them. It gets louder, causing Yamakawa to halt. But as soon as everyone stops, they will feel the ground start to sink beneath them.

It’s quicksand!

Yamakawa and any other Outsiders who may have been traveling close with her will soon be engulfed by the sand, first taking the camels by their legs. It’s never good to panic while in quicksand, and Yamakawa remains calm as ever, but if anyone tries to pull her and others out, she will say,

“This is it… This is how we get down below. The kaiju is under us! Angels of LILITH, hold your breath… Let the sand consume you if you wish to go further with me!”

As characters vanish beneath the sand, they will see that Captain Yamakawa is correct — the quicksand leads to a hidden, ruined city beneath the Qattara Depression: a perfect lair for a kaiju who is sensitive to sunlight. Outsiders slowly fall and hit the rocky ground not-so gently, heaps of sand flowing after. Rub it from your eyes and remove it from your ears to marvel at a city that time has forgotten.

In the middle of the ruins, there is a large temple. It’s time to find that kaiju!

▶ 003. TOMB RAIDER

The inside of the ruins are dark and mostly devoid of natural sunlight. However, there does occasionally seem to be flickers of light, as the sand above them runs fluidly across where the sky would be, almost like water. Due to the lack of visibility, Outsiders will need to utilize their LILITH-provided equipment or find other methods or sources for light. Everyone will have access to a flashlight, but there will also be abandoned torches nearby should anyone really want to impersonate Indiana Jones here. Once they arrive deeper in, they will see some of the torches spark to life, operated by a mysterious technology.

It's clear that these ruins were made for the sole purpose of housing the temple at its center, which appears to also be a type of tomb. There's a certain silent reverence to it, as it naturally demands respect. Or, it's the ominous presence of the sand crocodiles slithering about in the sands. The crocodiles can be lurking under any surface of sand, and so Outsiders will be cautioned and asked to be on the lookout, not only for themselves, but their fellow teammates.

If the crocodiles weren't alarming enough, as one enters the tomb itself, they will discover several booby traps awaiting them. If one steps carelessly, they'll find themselves at the other end of a vicious trap — some are triggered by stepping on the wrong stone, or grabbing a nearby torch. Some are even activated just by making eye contact with the wrong painting on the wall. If Outsiders feel any vibrations, they will get warnings on their oculars that a boulder may be swiftly approaching! Run and seek an alcove to hide in!

For those who are savvy with dismantling traps, they will find that some of them do have workarounds if you know the right methodology behind each one. As for if they will be given the time for it, that's another story, but maybe another Outsider can do the honors of triggering it while another suppresses it?

People should also do their best not to be drawn by some of the treasure or gems that are placed into several of the rooms with tombs. Picking up even one sliver of gold, or a gem will cause the mummies to reanimate. The mummies have an ability to produce sounds that can render people unconscious, or even cause their inner eardrums to bleed. While they are slow moving, they are also incredibly persistent, and as they're already technically dead, get on the wrong side of one and you may be stuck with it following you around. Fire seems to slow them down pretty effectively, as well. Should you be stuck with an aggressive one, however, it will do everything it can to try and harvest your organs. Completely dismembering them will un-alive them again.

Outsiders will get a notice when the rift energies increase in intensity as they traverse deeper within the tomb. Unexpectedly, it isn't the end of the tomb they're being led to, but the center of it.

▶ 004. HEART OF THE TOMB.

At the very center, the first thing everyone will notice is the rift. The rift effects will be strongest in this area. Thankfully, unlike the kaiju in Transylvania, everyone will still have full access to their abilities. One thing that can be noted, however, is that the rift energy may feel stronger than before, and Outsiders may feel an odd tingle that can be felt even through their suits. They may also find that if their attention strays for too long, they can feel their limbs go a little numb, so this battle will require all their focus.

While there are rift effects, hopefully that doesn't get in the way of anyone's performance. Especially as it doesn't take long for the kaiju to kick itself into gear.

█ █ █ MONSTER DEBRIEF SHEET
NAME: Kabus
HEIGHT: 3 m
WEIGHT: 10 T
CLASS: Extremely Dangerous
LOCATION: Qattara, Egypt
ABILITIES: Shortens daylight, infiltrates a being's consciousness and body through their dreams to stop their heart.
WEAKNESSES: Ice, water, sunlight, any symbols that reflect "light" or "life".
EXTRA NOTES: This is a kaiju that has never been documented by LILITH before—not much information can be provided. Proceed with extreme caution.
RIFT EFFECTS: Bad memory share, weakness to sunlight, nightmares.

█ █ █ ATTACHED PHOTO: SEE ABOVE

This kaiju is capable of trapping people in nightmares and illusions, as well as sharing them. In addition, by looking its target in the eyes, it’s capable of causing them to feel intense fear to the point of paranoia. These effects can last even when no longer in the presence of the Kabus. The Kabus uses the disorientation caused by its abilities to render its victims incapable of fighting back, and uses its dark and inky black tendrils to trap its victims. The tendrils cannot be cut, and almost appear illusory as well.

The mummies also seem to be working in tandem with the Kabus and will gradually make their appearance in this deepest region of the tomb. However, they seem less aggressive and are far more interested in grabbing, or biting down on Outsiders to decrease their overall mobility, especially if they fall under the Kabus nightmares.

Unlike the permanent rift in Tokyo, LILITH will eventually send in help by blocking off some rift signals, enough to eventually get them shut down. Without the power of the rift, the Kabus’ power will also begin to dwindle, which hopefully all the Outsiders take full advantage of.

▶ 005. AFTERMATH

It's an intense fight, and Kento Nanami along with Cagalli deliver the hardest blows with 600 HP each, the monster grows weaker. It somehow knows it is about to die, though, especially when Choso's toxic blood poisons it. It's spiteful, seeking revenge for the pain it is feeling, and when it is attacked again, it lashes out, temporarily blinding Power and releasing a deafening screech to disorient Rico. The final blow is delivered by Muramasa, and when it dies, it speaks to him, something inaudible but it sounds like it is speaking in Arabic. It dissipates into sand, and LILITH encourages Outsiders to round up the sand for further evaluation. From the looks of it, though, it appears to be nothing special.

When the Kabus is eventually defeated, Outsiders will have a pocket of time in which they must make their escape before the tomb is completely buried in sand. Perhaps, without the kaiju there, the structure is no longer stable. If Outsiders don’t want to be buried in sand, they will have to make their escape swiftly.

... But not without gathering samples: Outsiders will be prompted to collect as many samples as they can. Some of these samples will be given over to the research institute, but the researchers of LILITH also feel like they could find a use in the sand and bloody bandages that the lynx left behind.

The Outsiders and LILITH crew escape successfully, moments before the underground is filled with sand. They high trek it back to the Alexandria Institute, where they are greeted with something that Outsiders have probably been craving.. along with crowds cheering, some falling to their knees in gratitude, LILITH & the Outsiders are provided the following before flying back to Neo Tokyo:

Free lodging at the most comfortable hotels with the most comfortable beds. Finally, they can rest easily and as much as they want to without the threat of the kaiju around! It takes one full day cycle for daylight and night time to return to normal, and after a long, sleep.. LILITH encourages the Outsiders to sleep as much as they would like because they deserve it.

Right when they close their eyes, though, one more message flashes across their oculars. It's been awhile since Outsiders have heard from their robotic-tentacled Commander. After all of that, he has a few words. On voice, he speaks, but then he also sends a text message:

“... Good job. Most impressive."

...👍

- Medical staff will be on standby.

- Effects from the kaiju can last 24-48 hours to fully dissipate. (Note: This is up to players how they want to play this out. It could also come and go, so it does not affect their ability to play in any other aspect of the game in the meantime).

- As Outsiders were able to discuss and piece together some clues: they were able to rendezvous with the lynx in the desert and collect a hefty amount of samples (sand from the lynx, bloody bandages from the lynx, mummy parts.) Some of these samples will be used for medicine, while others for their suit. While Greece is still unresponsive, it may just be because of the rifts.

- LILITH will offer the energy drinks freely to those who want them. However, since it seems like some Outsiders get carried away, there will be a daily cap of two.

- The ESSENCE generator shows signs of working again, now with all aspects of the rift gone (the rift itself and the kaiju.)

- There will now be a simulation option once Neo Tokyo base reopens to mimic traps, so people can practice avoiding them. Even the ones with random screaming being used to lure people in. (They can’t believe this works).

▶ 006. AFTERWORD.

Welcome to our seventh kaiju log!

Aftermath details were gathered from reading through the chat logs of the last post and from IC discoveries and explorations that took place in which unearthed the location of the Kabus.

All tags on this log are worth 2 points and will count towards April AC.

EVENT BREAKDOWN/RECAP (CLICK TO EXPAND)

1. EGYPTIAN DINNER: Investigative efforts and careful research has led to the Outsiders next location. They are moved out from the comfort of their temporary base and are now having their last supper before they head out to the hunt.

2. QUICK AS SAND: They encounter more foes in the desert in the form of sand crocodiles. Everyone is provided weapons and ammo to hold these creatures back and minimize initial damages to the team. However, it seems the one of their biggest mysteries get solved. It's quicksand! .... and it looks like there's a lot more to unearth beneath them.

3. TOMB RAIDER: Outsiders arrive at the entrance of the tomb. Once in it, they are prey not only to the sand crocodiles, but the various booby traps set out for them. They will also encounter mummies which seem to be reanimated or powered by the kaiju.

4. HEART OF THE TOMB: Outsiders will find the kaiju at the heart of the tomb. As the preliminary report states, the kaiju infiltrates a being's consciousness and body through their dreams to stop their heart. Outsiders will need to be wary of this fact while battling the kaiju.

5. AFTERMATH: Recap of the usual aid provided to Outsiders. As well as some thoughts and details moving forward as a result of investigative efforts and details noted from prior log.

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Yato | Noragami | Everlight

[intertwinedfates]

🐺 1. Memories A: A Sheep in Wolf's Clothing (cw: child abuse)

[In a rustic house in the Japanese countryside there's a tall man with dark hair in a kimono wearing an angry, annoyed expression as a panicked young boy with vibrant blue eyes clings to his clothes. The boy is clearly Yato despite wearing hakama and being a good deal younger than he is now, and the reason for his distress is the strange, mask-wearing wolves who are attacking him.

He begs the man, whom he calls "Father", to call them off. Yet all his father does is try to shake Yato off as the wolves lunge again and the memory fades.]

⛩️ 2. Memories B: A Nightmare on Edo Street (cw: death)

[The memory starts in a small shack, where a campfire has been lit, with an even younger Yato, a young girl with short hair in a yukata, and a young woman in shrine maiden robes and with beads in her hair sitting around the blaze. The young woman dries off the girl's hair with a towel while trying to make small talk.

"So your name is Hiiro-chan. How long have you been serving Yato-sama?"

"Y-You don't have to talk about me!"

"But you never tell me anything about yourself, Yato-sama. What do you and Yato-sama do together, Hiiro-chan?"

"Sakura!"

The young girl, Hiiro, who had been sitting so quietly, finally pipes up. "If we're talking about each other, aren't you interested in yourself? Where you were born. What you did. How you died.

As though struck by this new thought that's never occurred to her, Sakura stares into the distance. "How did I die?"

"Your master knows all about it. You know Sakura's real name, don't you? Go on, tell her."

"I can't!"

Taking hold of the young god's hands, Sakura looks at him with pleading eyes. "Please, I want to know! Please, Yato-sama!"

After hesitating a moment, Yato starts to speak haltingly. "Y-Your real... name is... Ta... Tamanone..."

"Ta...manone...?"

Wincing from the fear, Yato peeks out at Sakura and startles as he sees her begin to turn into an ayakashi, with eyes bulging and dark veins appearing from them, her body growing larger and more grotesque until finally her arms and torso are the only human parts left, the rest a monstrous lion dog-like form with many, crying eyes. Yato lets out a scream, struggling to escape Sakura's grasp but unable to break from her inhuman strength.

Suddenly struck by pain and dark patches appearing all over his body, Yato staggers and goes limp, blood trickling from his mouth. A man, his father, catches him, calling him a stupid boy for having warned him not to talk to strangers. Putting him down, he tells Yato to listen to his inner voice.

Approaching Sakura, her distorted voice growls out, "yAtO-sAmA... tHoSe BeAsTs wHo KiLlEd mE dEsErVe DiVinE puNisHmeNt... pLeAsE, aVenGe tHeSe WrOnGs... I bEg oF yOu... PlEasE, kIlL tHeM... kIlL...!"

Seeing her tears flowing and the pain she's in, Yato calls out "Come, Hiki!", summoning Hiiro into a katana, which he then uses on the transformed Sakura, slicing through her deformed body until she's carved in half and disappears, with her hair beads falling to the ground in front of the crying boy.]

[ooc: Feel free to set the memory-sharing whenever and wherever appeals to you most! It can be during the kaiju fight, afterwards when things are winding down, or back at the hotel.]

2; probably after the kaiju fight

[curingidiocy]

[ He remembers that question Yato once asked a while ago, on a forum, about having a dark past they've hidden under a bright façade. The conversation had made it apparent that Yato was referring to himself... and now Ratio was finally getting the chance to see part of the past the god was trying to hide. Not that he'd wanted to see it this way, though. Such things should always be disclosed at one's own discretion. But as usual, none of them have any choice here. ]

So this was what he was alluding to.

[intertwinedfates]

[So much for his attempts at anonymity, huh? And so much for privacy... He at least hoped to make it through one battle with a kaiju without anything coming from it, but alas, it's not to be. Instead, he's been saddled with flashbacks of some of the roughest times in his life. Like a damn version of Groundhog Day, they just keep repeating, over and over at random points of his day, a veritable waking nightmare.

And after not having slept much these last couple of weeks, is it any wonder that immediately after going through another episode, hearing Ratio say that gets his goat some kind of bad.]

Alluding to what? What're you mumbling about?!

[A very un-Yato-like response, all things considered.]

[curingidiocy]

[ An understandable reaction. He doesn't blame Yato at all for his hostility. Ratio doesn't shift or balk at the god's snippiness. ]

You once asked if it was acceptable to conceal your dark past instead of being upfront about the sins you committed long ago.

[intertwinedfates]

[The lack of reaction honestly just makes him feel even more annoyed, ironically enough. He would've preferred if Ratio sniped back at him, or shrunk away. Instead that calm, collected attitude only serves to irritate him further.]

Tch... Look at the big brain on you. Go on. Let me have it. You saw, didn't you? That memory...

[The source of his shame and guilt and a lot of his issues.]

[curingidiocy]

[ He only crosses his arms and looks down at Yato placidly. ]

Let you have what, exactly? What are you expecting from me? Fear? Disgust? Hatred, perhaps?

Is that what you feel for yourself when you see this memory?

[intertwinedfates]

[It's about now that he can see why some people get frustrated with the doctor, yet at the same time Yato can't help realizing his own behavior is childish. Doesn't make it any easier to behave, though.]

All of the above? That's what a normal person would feel, isn't it? At least contempt...

[Not going to flat out admit that yes, he loathes himself and is actually somewhat scared of who he used to be. No sense in revealing more than he already has.]

1; dinner-time memories

[golmi]

[ Zelgadis is midway through a bowl of stew when he looks up. It’s the timing, rotten luck meeting rotten luck, and when his eyes fall on Yato he opens his mouth to maybe say hello before he’s no longer in the dining hall, no longer at a laden table in the midst of LILITH’s army.

While he watches a child with Yato’s eyes cry and struggle, he also ends up sitting ramrod straight and staring at the actual Yato himself, eyes wide and mouth hanging open on a greeting he’s already forgotten.

No biggie. ]

[intertwinedfates]

[It's good to finally get some real food that's not laced with caffeine to keep them awake, so Yato's taken to dishing himself up a couple of plates worth of deliciousness. It's all going so nicely, so smoothly, except as he starts to raise his fork to his mouth, he's hit by the after effects of the damn kaiju, sending him spiraling back into a horrible memory that leaves his stomach lurching.

Once it ends, he realizes Zel is sitting there similarly to him, though he hasn't dropped his fork like Yato has. He has a nasty idea of what just happened, given it's been a reoccurring theme lately, but that doesn't make it any easier to deal with.

Growling lowly in a rather uncharacteristic fashion, he snatches up his fork, gripping it so tightly that the metal bends slightly.]

...lemme guess. You saw that.

[golmi]

[ As far as strange phenomena go, seeing something as intimately personal as a core memory is a first, and Zelgadis Is Not Ready. It takes him a good few moments to recollect himself, spoon set carefully back in his bowl so he may run his hand down his hair, fingers scraping over the stones of his brow. He can’t even figure out which expression to wear, which one was proper, which would do the least damage. ]

I’m sorry, but yes. All of it.

[ Zel’s eyes dart around, settling at last on a spot around Yato’s elbow. ]

Are you okay?

[ What a stupid thing to ask, he could kick himself, but it’s been spoken into being anyway. His lips clamp together as his shoulders hike up an inch. ]

[intertwinedfates]

[Considering the oculars regularly glitch and share their thoughts without them meaning to, having some of their more intimate, horrifying memories spread around shouldn't be a surprise. And yet Yato's still not ready to try doing damage control for it. He doesn't like appearing weak and pathetic like he was as a child, and here it is, being shown to a relative stranger.]

Ugh... Figures.

[Fisting his fingers into his hair, he tugs at his bangs irritably, trying to keep his temper under control.]

Yeah. I'm fine, thanks.

[He should be grateful for the concern, he knows, yet all he feels is shame. It's embarrassing to have your most vulnerable moments on display, even if it's an accident.]

[golmi]

[ There’s a specific sort of shock that comes with seeing something that obviously wasn’t meant to be seen, and it grips Zelgadis tight in a chilling hold. It’s the memory, sure, but it’s mostly the glimpse of the man under Yato’s foolish veneer; the glint of teeth, the hard gleam of eyes, a reminder that this one dubbed himself god in their first meeting.

For a strange moment, Zel feels awkwardly young, caught looking at something he shouldn’t have. What does he know? What does he even know? ]

Sorry. [ stupid. why? ] That it happened. [ dumb, foolish, augh.

look up. look up, damn it, look yato in the eye. ]

… Want a drink?

[intertwinedfates]

[It's definitely a rather awkward thing, having some of your deepest, darkest memories exposed for all to see. It makes dealing with friends difficult, and relative strangers even more so. Plus it shows a side of Yato that he'd rather keep locked away in his heart, for none to remember but him and his sister.

He's just glad all his nightmares didn't play for Zel at once, leading to even more uncomfortable silence between them.]

It's fine. [Really, what else can be said? It's not his fault he saw or that he went through that.] Everybody goes through things, yeah?

[It's said with a forced smile as he tries to make light of the situation they've found themselves in.]

Sure! Nothing like a stiff drink to make things more bearable.

rubs my evil hands together, memory 1

[newphew]

[ oh, if this isn't familiar. a tiny child being "punished", probably for his "failures", as his guardian stands by and lets it happen. worse, even facilitates him. ]

[ hunter feels sick watching this. and it's all too familiar -- yato, the real yato, can see it in his eyes. recognition. familiarity. he's not the only one who's lived through this kind of abuse. ]

[ but there isn't just empathy. there's sympathy, too, and hunter looks quite upset for yato's sake ]

He did that to you? Why?

[ why? ]

cackles gleefully 😈

[intertwinedfates]

[Oh yeah, there's a definite sense of familiarity in the gaze that looks upon him from the kid, and that more that re-experiencing his own nightmares makes Yato's stomach turn. Maybe he deserved it as a failure or a god, but he can't imagine Hunter ever deserved to be punished to a degree similar to what he experienced.

Whereas other times he's been lashing out at whoever happened to glimpse his past, this time Yato merely shrinks in on himself somewhat. He doesn't want to answer, but if Hunter went through anything similar... He doesn't want to just brush him off.]

...because he hates gods. Or he's just a cruel and sadistic man. Possibly both.

[newphew]

[ oh yes, there is a strong sense of empathy here that shows through his eyes ]

He's --- not your father, is he? Not really?

[ hunter's voice comes out small as he approaches yato slowly, settling in next to him. just looking at him with wide eyes, a bead or two of sweat running down his face. and, ]

You.... didn't deserve that.

[ in case yato needed to hear that. ]

[intertwinedfates]

[That question makes him laugh, if scornfully.]

I was born from his wish, so yeah, that's about as much of a father as a god can have, in my case.

[Folding his hands together tightly, he bows his head, averting his eyes from Hunter. For a time he's quiet, then, quietly:]

...thanks. Sometimes I wonder if I'd just done what he said, he would've treated me better. But I doubt it.

[Surprisingly it does help to hear that. Nobody's ever told him as much, because he's never talked about it, ever.]

[newphew]

[ hunter goes silent for a minute, beads of sweat piling up on his forehead. born from a wish. closest thing to father. ]

[ he feels choked. it's hitting a bit too close to home. ]

[ he squeezes his eyes shut, then, finally, hoarsely, speaks up: ]

.... I doubt it. He just wanted to control you. With.... with fear.

[intertwinedfates]

[Even though it was his own memory being shared, Yato can't help worrying about Hunter, given his behavior. He seems more bothered by what he saw than the god himself.

So he reaches out and ruffles his hair a bit, hoping that might help ease some of his pain.]

Well, he did a damn good job. I... I only quit listening to him within the last couple of years. Thanks to my friends. But hey, everything worked out, so it's fine. ...probably.

How're you holding up, by the way?

3, i choose my adventure

[wwtd]

[ yato should recognize capyperland because it's the paradise of his dreams. all the fun rides, all the adorable merchandise, but especially all the cute men in costumes capyper mascots all over the park. hiyori is sixteen again, enjoying her outing with friends and what most would call a triple date. or that's what yama called it.

he'll also recognize fujisaki amongst the group of boys and who seems to be spending most of his time talking with hiyori. they buy food together, read his capyperland guide together, and they take pictures together - one such picture being that yato's father shared with yato. posing together with one of those cute capyper mascots that yato so adores.

these are supposed to be bad memories, but thus far? it seems to be a happy memory for hiyori. laughing and having fun with her friends. experiencing capyperland and its magic for the very first time.

the first sign that things are beginning to go downhill is when she's in the souvenir shop with a bag of goodies for her family. she stumbles upon a capyper keychain with a crown and thinks, I KNOW HE'S GONNA LOVE THIS!! There's gonna be a fight if I get just one, so I better get two... or I can get one for all three of us and we can match!

fujisaki's voice pipes up from behind her while he's carrying three angel capyper in his arms. You're getting three, too, Hiyori-chan? Souvenirs for your family?

Oh, no. These... are for...

her mind draws a blank. My... my... family? no, that's not right. she already bought souvenirs for her family. her mother and father. sasaki-san, too. the housekeeper that helps around the house. that hiyori competes with in chores for a little extra cash.

how she feels now is so similar to that moment she took a picture with fujisaki. what was wrong? what's going on? who is she buying these crown capyper for?? what is she forgetting? what is this very important -

the scene moves along.

hiyori doesn't. her chest hurts and aches with what she's forgetting. it's hard to enjoy the electric parade with her friends when she's feeling like this. she looks around, realizing it's someone that's missing. someone she was with all the time.

who? who...?

who?

did they not exist? wouldn't they be here now? where... are they...?

lost in thought, in this empty feeling in her chest, she doesn't hear fujisaki call out to her. Can you see? her eyes sting. her throat burns. her chest aches. there's laughter and smiles all around her, her friends are taking pictures and having a great time, but she can't enjoy it. she can't -

remember.

but she wanted to be with him longer. so much longer.

there's warmth in her palm and, finally, she jerks in surprise and looks around. fujisaki. he's next to her. close. leaning closer. too close. inches away from her face as fireworks explode in the background. as families "ooh!" and "aww!" but fujisaki won't stop leaning in and her heart stops.

no. no. no, don't.

don't...! ]

you rascally rogue you

[intertwinedfates]

[Of all the times to lurch into Hiyori's memories, it had to be this one, didn't it? From the moment Yato spots Fujisaki - no, his father - he knows where this is going. Yet the memory doesn't stop. Like a bad movie it just keeps going heedless of his mind trying to pull away, to escape from what he knows is coming yet thankfully hasn't had to witness.

Not yet, anyways.

It seems like fate has other ideas. This is clearly when he and Yukine faded from Hiyori's memories, when she said she forgot him for weeks. He can feel her despair, the pain of forgetting something, someone, so important to her. He hadn't realized they (he) meant so much to her by that point, that she would cry because her mind couldn't remember but her heart could. He longs to reach out and comfort her, to let her know I'm here.

But he can't. There's nothing he can do. It's just a memory. A memory of something that actually happened. And as it progresses, he feels his heart race and his blood boil at the deception his father is pulling on the girl he loves. That's the only reason he's doing these things, playing the part of an innocent teenager. To hurt Hiyori and, probably most of all, him. Once again she's caught in the crossfire...

His emotions reach a breaking point as Fujisaki leans in and presses his lips to hers, deliberately taking advantage of Hiyori's emotional state to steal a kiss from her. The bastard must know how she feels; Nora tattles on them like nobody's business. Yet that doesn't stop his louse of a father. No, instead, he uses the moment to his advantage, hurting them both in the process.

By the time the memory fades and Yato is back in their hotel room, dinner on the table save for the soup he's spilled while being forced to witness Hiyori's memory, he's shaking with pent up rage. He goes from staring at nothing to his eyes darting towards Hiyori, brows furrowed in something between disgust and concern.

Not really thinking, he sets the container of soup down in the mess, hands trembling so much that the spoon rattles against the dish. He doesn't know whether he should bring up what he saw, or keep it to himself. Really, it depends on if she experienced it too. Turning his glare towards the table, he sucks in a slow breath and lets it out before speaking.]

Hiyori... Did... you just see something?

i'm a wascally wabbit

[wwtd]

[ as she's completely still and gone white, it would be safe to assume that yes.

she saw something.

slowly, her eyes pull away from her bowl of soup to the mess he's made on the table, to the holes he's glaring into their table and the expression on his face. a strange mix, indeed. what's going on?

also hearing that strange rattle, she glances at his hand trembling around his spoon. (this isn't much better than yato's first reaction of lying on her bedroom floor, crying a puddle of tears.) ]

Wh, how did you - ? Um, yes. I wish I didn't, though. I hate that memory...

[ it slips out in a whisper and she reaches up to wipe her mouth like she used to, trying to rub the feeling away. realization hits her like a truck and her hand lowers slowly. ]

Did you watch... Fujisaki...?

it's wabbit season!

[intertwinedfates]

[Finally noticing the noise he's making, he all but slams down the bowl, making the spoon clank loudly against the dish and sloshing more soup everywhere. Yet the whole mess seems to go unnoticed as he glances up long enough to take in Hiyori's pale complexion. Yeah. She experienced it, too.

Slowly, he sinks down into his seat, bracing his head against a hand as he struggles to maintain his composure. It was one thing to hear about it from his dad and quite another to experience the event for himself. The former just had him crying, this time, however, he's pissed. Because he knows his damnable father did it solely to fuck with them.]

It's an aftereffect from the kaiju. It makes us, and others, re-experience some of our worst memories. It's been happening to me since coming back...

[At her question, he slowly nods, teeth gritted so tight his jaw starts to hurt. He can guess what she's doing, wiping at her mouth like that. Trying to get the feeling of his dad kissing her off.]

...yeah. I saw. That bastard--! Even now he's tormenting us...

🐇

[wwtd]

[ it's an intense response she wasn't prepared for, making her jump a bit in her seat before scowling at him across the table. that was a bit unnecessary, wasn't it?

some of her irritation fades with the obvious toll it's taking on him. he knew about it. they bickered about it before. long before any kind of relationship beyond friends was between them. she was quick to bring up his "kiss" with bishamon when he did it, too.

but things are different. it might be why he's reacting the way he is. it's not like she WANTED it. if he couldn't tell.

though her expression softens completely. yato has been going through sharing his worst memories with people. as a private person, especially about his past, it's no wonder he's in such a bad mood. how this one thing seems to have pulled a trigger.

hiyori tried to empathize with the kaiju, but they're making it DIFFICULT with the pains they always put everyone through. ]

You, too. [ she had seen yuji's and vash's. maybe because she's already seen one of yato's worst memories, killing sakura, it was time for him to see hers. ]

Yato. It's a bad memory, nothing else. Your father isn't here. It's the kaiju that are tormenting people now. [ hiyori says firmly, dropping her hand back to the table to clench it into a fist. it lands on the edge of the soup puddle, so she sighs and gets up to look for something to clean it with. when she comes back, she's biting her lip and wiping it up with a towel. ]

Now you know why I didn't want to talk about it when I was younger. He stole something important from me. When I had already thought I lost you...

🐰

[intertwinedfates]

[Perhaps he is overreacting, but given everything he's been through the past couple of days, it can be forgiven, yeah?

Honestly, though, it's because she didn't want that kiss that he's so pissed off. Not at her - never at her - but at his father, for taking advantage of the situation and Hiyori herself. Because it wouldn't have happened if she wasn't entangled with him, that much he's certain of. It's yet another thing he's guilty of. Having her first kiss stolen.

What makes it all the worse is that his damn dad isn't here for him to punch or throttle. There's no getting back at him here; it'll have to wait until he's gone home for that.

Forcing himself to breath evenly, in and out, in and out, he finally lets his hand drop loosely onto the table, seemingly exhausted all of a sudden.]

I know. I know. That's what makes it so damn galling... I can't even punch the bastard for what he did to you! [Lifting his head again, he peers at her with a look that's part sadness, part guilty. She's never blamed him, not once, despite so many of her woes being his fault.]

Yeah... I-- I'm sorry, Hiyori. For what he did to you. Even if it was a kiss, I never wanted him to take anything else from you... He already did so much harm to you...

[There's a kind of unspoken "because of me" tacked on to that sentence, but he knows better than to actually voice it. She'd chew him out again, and even if he deserves it, he's not in the mood. Given they weren't allowed to sleep much these past couple of weeks, even he's looking worn out and exhausted.]