005. those countryside roads to somewhere

[takasugi]

( weeks spent gathering non-perishables and their personal items into boxes couldn't have prepared them for what was about to happen.

it occurs in a flash, like a plant's tendril reaching out to seed a new life in something.

the sea vanishes, their epic on the high seas punctuated by a change in pressure. like when a whale breeches or dives with something inside it's mouth, it's an almost unimaginably long pause. their watery landscape transforms into an empty void, pieces of a plane that simply don't exist in the mind, and if one were to stay here, it could easily drive them mad. humans were never made to shift between realities and witness such emptiness, after all, and before takasugi can even think to figure out how shouin's soul might be contributing to this, everything tilts. the world about them flips to a new chapter filled with light, darkness, and stars, and if one blinks, it all becomes clear that everything is floating, floating without a sky to touch the pitch-black remnants of the rippling universe below, and—

a blink of the eyes next reveals that everything they've known has come to change.

the arahabaki mk. ii on the water is gone, and only rolling hills remain.

in the distance, a couple women tend to a small, cultivated field off a well-worn path, meticulously monitoring the water that'll birth life into their crop. the town is green and vulnerable under the piercing blue of the bright spring sky, with a quieter vibe compared to the larger towns that boast all the hustle and bustle of city life. a few open tea houses welcome visitors, inviting them to pause on their journey as they seek bigger opportunities in this new era of industrialization, but most importantly, as the members of 3kon might notice: some of the citizens here are sporting animal ears of various types, and no one acts like each other is worser than wear for it. )

Comments

[hanabee]

[For a second, Niki lets Takasugi urge him away, but then he realizes what they're talking about and he starts to dig his heels into the ground.]

W-wait, wait, wait, why me again?! [Well, no, he understands this. Rinne can probably already use a sword (or any weapon) just fine. Niki's the one who's a clueless city kid. But...] You don't think I could really do that, do you? I'd totally chicken out! No, actually, that isn't fair to the chicken at all. A chicken would be braver than me!

[It feels like the other two are speaking a completely different language! But maybe that's exactly why he's so nervous.]

[takasugi]

( hmm. he was really just trying to bait a certain someone...

and it didn't work out. that's fine. it's not as if he doesn't want niki to learn how to defend himself better. )

Well. I won't dismiss this hypothetical bird, because even a chicken knows to pluck the eyes out of its assailants, but. What I'm talking about is strictly teaching you how to use something for personal protection. Amagi-kun cheerily offered you up to be the sacrifice, so he clearly believes you're more than capable. I mean, do you really think people won't try to take advantage of three exceedingly handsome young men on the road without anything to call their name?

( a pause, takasugi's eyebrows upturning slightly. )

Maybe without the part where we have to sell our bodies, though. Why is that the first thing that came to mind?

1/2

[hanikamu]

[Rinne knows when he's being baited! He won't fall for it! He's also extremely simple. Maybe if he were cornered...]

I wanna know that, too. The only guys you should be selling your body to is us! For free!

[He seizes the back of Niki's shirt and twists it in his fist. Don't go with the bad guys, please.]

Don't mind him, Prez. This guy just likes to yap. We dunno what the people of this world are like, but if a puppy like Niki can take 'em on, that's better for all of us.

[So he says. In the nearby woods, Rinne senses a few pairs of eyes lurking in the shadows. They don't strike just yet. The second Rinne throws them a glare, the presence is gone.]

[hanikamu]

[Back to business.]

Well, doesn't look like a buncha wyverns'll attack us outta nowhere, so I got a good feeling!

Kyaha, I bet wyvern steak sounds real good to Niki right now, though!

[hanabee]

Nuh-uh! I know what you're doing! [Speaking of bait!!] I'm not agreeing to anything until the steaks are right in front of me!

[Nobody said anything about there being real steaks. But isn't he already admitting that the possibility of him accepting is there?

Despite his complaints, he doesn't pull away from Rinne. But still...]

I don't wanna cause trouble for you guys or anything, but I really don't know if I can do it.

[He's already a liability... He knows that. But won't giving him something he won't be able to use just make it even worse?]

[takasugi]

Start by showing me you can perform tonight, at least. Then we'll round back to this topic of gently pounding your mettle to the surface.

( he does his best, but takasugi's already two seconds from tapping a foot impatiently.

what's the harm in at least trying? but he won't push the matter until the actual prize is at hand and niki has no choice but to fashion one to his hip for more than just show—especially not now, when he, too, feels the cool gaze of a group watching them from afar skitter away.

he releases his grip, reaching up to flick a silver earring with a finger as he turns. )

It's just going to be the two of you, after all. I'll be sitting this one out.

[hanikamu]

[ Rinne was nearly about to kill Takasugi for that, but...

Looks like Takasugi sensed to, too. Well, it's nothing Rinne should be bringing up in public. Whatever Takasugi has in mind, they can talk about it later. For now, Rinne lets go of Niki to step forward, his offered hand upturned and his smile as playful as ever. ]

Oh? You feelin' a lil' seasick too, Prez?

[ Because if Takasugi is feeling ill, he's here to catch him. ]

That's fine. Me and Niki were a duo for a while, so it's no biggie. We'll get ourselves some fans in no time! And if we don't, a buncha haters is fine, too! The only bad press is no press. Am I right?

Don't sweat it, Niki. Just imagine the everyone oiled up and buck naked!

[ why are they oiled up ]

[hanabee]

I don't wanna imagine that! [He shakes his head vehemently.] Keep your weird fantasies to yourself!

[Jeez!! But after he rejects that idea, Niki relaxes a bit. He knows the topic of him learning to wield a sword isn't gone for good (Takasugi never forgets stuff like this), but since he doesn't have to worry about it for now...]

Yeah, we'll be okay. We can handle that just fine. [It's a little nostalgic, really... It hasn't been just the two of them in years. As long as he isn't alone, though, Niki is passably confident.] But let us know if there's anything we can do for you, too, Prez. Just because you won't be performing with us, it doesn't mean we can just forget about you.

[Maybe he just has other things to deal with... But Niki also knows he has a lot of things to be stressed over, so he wants to be sure.]

[takasugi]

Not to worry. I'll be right there in the audience, poised to hype the both of you up if no one's paying attention. ... Well. Without the being oiled up and vulnerable bit. Without it. After all, our audience is most likely about to be in their thirties on up, maybe. I doubt the younger crowd will be hanging around a place that strange warriors frequent unless they’re looking to spread rumors or find a ride out of here.

( he glances over his shoulder, a hand waving casually as if to dismiss rinne's open one. )

I'm doing fine, ( a lie, of course. it's easier now, knowing that the one person who could detect them so flawlessly isn't here anymore, ) so have a little more faith in your reliable President, would you?

[hanikamu]

[If Rinne has a bad feeling, he keeps it to himself. Nothing is wrong. That's what Takasugi wants them to believe, so Rinne will put his trust in it. It's a leader's duty, too, to tell everyone that everything will be alright — even when the odds say otherwise.

When he takes his hand back, he curls it into a solid fist.]

You're the boss.

[His smile is tight. Rinne's so stalking him later.]

Hmm... After we play 'em a couple rounds of mahjong old tunes, maybe it won't be such a tough crowd. Don't make us miss ya too much, Prez. Juicy or not, if your ass goes poof, you're gonna make Rinne-kun and Niki-kyun cry!

[He even mimes it with a hand. Boo hoo hoo.

Seriously, please don't die.]

[hanabee]

Ohh, I get it. [Niki nods in understanding.] Prez is gonna be our Number One Fan, huh? We're actually pretty used to tough crowds, but it'll be nice to know at least one person out there likes us.

[He doesn't believe Takasugi, either, but... well, it's not like he doesn't understand it. If they're going to make it in this new world, they can't let their guards down yet, no matter what they've just been through. When they know so little about what to expect, they can't afford to show too much weakness.

So, without hesitation, Niki joins in on the encouragement.]

I'll miss having you on stage with us, though. So please try to join us next time, okay, Prez? Or else you'll make us cry~.

[He mimics Rinne's gesture with his hands, too. Boo hoo hoo!]

It's too bad, actually. I bet Prez's music would be a real hit here.

[takasugi]

( number one fan... that's right.

that's exactly why he needs to determine very quickly where the real dangers are, for the forests living inside each villager might hide more than meets the eye. they've just barely gotten their bearings after landing in a familiar landscape, and he won't let them be uprooted out of it just as quickly: amagi rinne's mischievous smile that belies a tempered gaze and shiina niki's deceivingly clueless demeanor are what help build the bridge to this dream of theirs.

and if they realize he's lying about something, he'll handle it later. it's true he's gotten closer to both of them, trusting them with his life and even more with the other, but this. this, he hates to put on anyone at any time, and so he doesn't. as niki's mention of his sound, takasugi runs the tip of his fingers along the length of the shamisen strapped to his back, picking at a string between two claws to create one single impressionable twang. )

No doubt they would. There's always time, though. It's not as if I'll ever stop when I'm so good at it. Plus, I owe you a performance, don't I? How about I play for the both of you during dinner tonight, hmm? Sound good? I still need to discuss what the room arrangements will be like after they've seen you bring the house down.

( it's an easy path down, this dirt road oft traveled on foot and horse-carriage alike. as they stroll past the fields in the late afternoon, takasugi notices a couple of the hardworking women glance over at them, intrigued at the group of outsiders wearing attire they've never seen before. he responds with a sly, quick wave, the kind he might have offered anyone before, ducking beneath the overarching branch of a pine that's primed to scuff their ears with tiny needles. )

1/2

[hanikamu]

[The women stop working to giggle in turn, chatting amongst themselves now with mirth. Takasugi's charming presence never fails to capture its audience. It fills Rinne with hope — maybe they can be idols here, and for the better. He'll talk to Takasugi about othee things later. Right now, he only wishes everyone from his village were here to see him. Maybe then, they would remember who he was, or what he set out to do...]

Kyaha, I'm looking forward to that! Whatever we get, dibs on the center futon! Niki, I bet we could ask for more rice from these ladies after we—

2/2

[hanikamu]

[They're gone.

Huh? They were here just a second ago. There's nowhere to hide in the paddy fields but the water. He can't imagine why they would.]

Niki, you smell anything funny?

1/2

[hanabee]

[Dinner and a performance, just for them... That sounds nice. Even with all their faith placed in Takasugi, the past few weeks had still been busy and a little nerve-wracking (though Niki had worked hard to hide it). He'd never been opposed to trying to escape that place, but that didn't mean it wasn't also a little scary to do so. It wasn't the same as hopping into a plane or onto a boat and going to some unfamiliar but still known destination. There was no telling where they'd end up or if they'd even end up there at all... Takasugi had even said so himself! So having an opportunity to really, truly relax, even if it's only brief, would be more than welcome. Niki thought the other two particularly needed it. Maybe the music would help to soothe the soul of the one who'd willingly given up something he admitted he couldn't live without, and maybe the food would help to ease the heart of the one who could only dream of the possibility of seeing a certain someone again.

Well, that assumes that all goes well tonight, of course. But Niki's already cheerfully humming to himself while they walk and talk, imagining dinner and fresh rice and maybe they can convince the ladies to give them some eggs, too, and...]

[hanabee]

Nii?

[But then Rinne asks that question and Niki suddenly stops. Admittedly, he wasn't paying a ton of attention to their surroundings, so he doesn't even know why he asks, but he still sniffs the air to try and figure out what he's talking about.

Sniff, sniff.

Hmm...]

Yeah, I think so, actually. Something smells a little weird. Um... [He glances around for a moment, making sure there isn't anyone nearby to offend.] And by "weird," I mean bad. It smells really bad.

[Like something rotting... Like garbage.]

( 1 / 2 )

[takasugi]

Hmm?

( but it doesn't take long to reach takasugi's nose either. it wiggles, then scrunches up for every step.

the foul scent is unmistakable, the sort that twists ones bones out of shape if they're not used to it. it seeps into the systems of the body—cardiovascular, respiratory—and makes its way down to the soak in the guts of the earth, the earth that's just down a winding off shoot towards a couple thatched homes, where takasugi can't help but push forward in a different direction.

after all, he knows what it is, even if he isn't fond of it. most who were human wouldn't be.

still, when he peeks around the corner of a building and sees bruised skin marked black and blue, the bodies stacked and barely covered by straw and woven bags— )

( 2 / 2 )

[takasugi]

( takasugi's ears perk to attention immediately.

he whips his arm back, slapping his palm against the first to follow up behind him in an attempt to keep them from looking.

to keep either of them from looking, as he digs his heels in to hold his ground. )

[hanikamu]

[ The impact of Takasugi's palm against Rinne's broad chest pushes him a step back. The man is focused, brows furrowed and ears alert. Rinne thinks back to that time at those tunnels in Kelesis, when he only had the samurai to thank for his life. ]

Urk...!

[ The familiar stench of rot fills his nostrils before he can cover his nose. He's afraid to know what it is. He thinks he already does.

He grabs Niki's wrist and gets into position. They can run back, but would that be worse? ]

Shinsaku, you saw 'em back there too, didn't you? I couldn't get closer, but they smelled just like—

[ Three foxes, familiar with each other with all their senses. Is it any wonder that his nose would pick up on this much? ]

[hanabee]

[When Rinne grabs him, Niki instinctively moves closer to him. The other two seem to have noticed something he hasn't. (But this isn't surprising. There are things the two of them know and have experiences with that Niki can only even begin to imagine, so it's just a given.) He may not know what it is, exactly, but honestly, he doesn't have to. He does know that the smell is getting worse, however, and he covers his nose with his free hand in order to not let it seep too deeply into his nostrils. He really doesn't need to get sick, too! Especially not now.]

Should we go back?

[At least there wasn't such a stench back there... But that didn't necessarily mean it was safer, he realizes. Maybe if they just go around instead... Either way, he's sure they can't stay here.]

[takasugi]

We should do more than go back, actually. We should reassess everything I bought into just moments ago, because—

( shuffling back, now. there's an edge in takasugi's tone as he scrutinizes the view of the village from here. his hands, having minds of their own at this point, continue to push them along. to pivot them around and keep them in front of him, their backs now pointed towards all that cruelty. for all his thin frame beneath broad strokes of white might remind others that he's not as bulky as he seems at first glance, for now, takasugi's posture is that of a much larger fox on alert.

his sandaled foot finds a thick pine branch nestled off the path, which he kicks from the ground only to catch it in mid-air, lightly hopping on the balls of his feet.

then he tosses it rinne's way, just expecting him to snag it without much trouble. )

Who could've guessed our own kind were lurking about here? Or maybe they're the real deal, and we're just a bunch of amateurs who've been trying to play their part all along.

( his tail bristles, though not entirely out of a need for caution.

maybe it's the thrill of the hunt, or in knowing that they might be being watched this very second. come to think, he should've scouted the place more thoroughly before agreeing to a proposal that sounded too good to be true. the other two needed to recover after such a distressing experience, though... and the thought of clapping his hands together at a bar to a small-town performance of theirs had been beyond appealing to takasugi.

keep your cool, shinsaku. a hero of choshu like himself has gone against the odds plenty of times, so he won't panic in front of them. those firm, plum blossom eyes of his flit between both rinne and niki. )

I'm not taking a closer look at what's behind us, but the way I see it, we have two choices here. Continue to play dumb and dig deeper into what's really going on tonight, or find out how they're getting around and hoof our way out of here. Literally. I didn't see a single car.

[hanikamu]

[Rinne catches the branch effortlessly and slashes the air, the whipping sound a crack in the silence.]

I ain't too keen on sticking around when no one wants a show.

[Behind the smirk, worry tugs at the back of his mind. Back in his hometown, violence was never this senseless. But in swathes of the countryside away from the capital, far from the eye of society, it was easier to succumb to one's baser desires. Foxes of legend loved when humans would do as much.]

But if it's a piece of ass they wanted, they woulda stripped it to the bone by now. Whatever we got for 'em, I'm pretty sure it ain't fried tofu.

[And Takasugi can't face that alone.]

Know anything about what these foxes eat, Niki?

[hanabee]

Um, I'm kinda afraid the answer might be us.

[He's not entirely following their conversation, but it's clear from the way Takasugi seems to be doubting his choice suddenly and the way Rinne accepts the branch with ease that he understands it's probably really not good. Still...]

But, uh... you know, it's not like we're cute, innocent little bunny rabbits or anything. We eat meat, too. [He'd never liked to rely on this part of himself, but if they have to, he will.] So... I think we'll be okay, as long as we stick together.

[Although now, he's already feeling guilty that he raised such a fuss over the sword thing earlier. He's not afraid, exactly, but he doesn't want to be alone, either, and... Well, that means he's already becoming an unnecessary added burden to the others, and the last thing he wants is to make their lives harder than he already has. They can come back to that later, however. First things first.]

I'll do whatever you guys wanna do. There's no telling how long we're gonna be stuck here, though. [Even in Karteria, Niki had never imagined that they'd be stranded there as long as they were, so that feels like something they have to consider.] So, I mean, we might have to figure out what's going on here either way, right?

[takasugi]

Meat.

( fingers tap along his hip. )

In other words, we should have a decoy. You two can get the horses while I create a distraction that can be heard for miles. Better that than us strolling in like promised while they eliminate our escape route. Unless talking is what you want to do?

( another tap of finger.

it's practically itching to reach back at a moment's notice, the pile of bodies still lingering against a building behind them. )

[hanikamu]

Nah, I'm good.

[With that, Rinne does something he hasn't had to do in a long time.

From a blind spot, he strikes at a pressure point in Takasugi's neck, knocking him out instantly.]