SHOWTIME ⦁ open w/closed prompts.

[deathrespect]

Who: Samatoki Aohitsugi deathrespect & co.! Open with closed prompts.
What: Event things.
When: 9.8 and on throughout the month.
Where: Prompts will have locations.

Content Warnings: Event-typical warnings. Missing person trauma. Slight self-harm + PTSD flashbacks. Bad management of breakdowns.

001 ⦁ GROWING PAINS | cassandra district | open.

( Not long after the 8th Samatoki can be seen outside of his home in Cassandra, looking over a small slip of paper with burnt edges. It says "have a nice trip!" and is written in blood-ink.

He has his mask fixed on his face as he buries the slip of paper after folding it into a neat square. Once his claw is drawn across his palm, pale blood spilling onto the soil below, a red spider lily blooms and stretches towards the sky.

There's a hidden smile from behind the mask when the flower doesn't change its bright color. NO rotting, no wilting. He knows, then, that the Blood Minister path is the right one for him.

He turns to see someone a little ways off; not removing his mask, he stands. )

What's good, boss?

002 ⦁ POST-GROWING PAINS | cassandra district | closed to orpheus.

( Heading towards Lumenwood is Samatoki; he's been location-scouting lately for an idea he has ... There's a craning of his head and a stop in his tracks when he sees someone with a guitar, heading down the street.

Makes him think of doing music again ... Even if his music was typically heavy beats, rhyme and flow. )

Ah, hey. You good with that thing?

( He calls, pulling his mask down and fixing it to his belt. Not weird at all. )

003 ⦁ RIVER OF REGRET | ???? | closed to atsushi.

( Ah, fuck. )

The fuck is this?!

( The day is idyllic and pretty, sunlight and trees and a peaceful river. The only other one in the boat is Atsushi, that kid he'd talked to the other day ... )

You got any clue?

004 ⦁ POST-RIVER OF REGRET | lumenwood district | open | self harm + PTSD flashbacks warning.

( His claws itch and flex; it feels like there's something under his skin that keeps him moving, laced with pure anger and anguish. He chainsmokes. He walks.

This isn't Hakagemachi, where his walking had more of a purpose, where he knew what to really bury himself in. Right here and now, in Trench, everything feels fucking pointless. He stops along a fence, leaning on it, breath shaky and uncertain but deep all the same.

Visions of his sister, mangled with her middle pecked out by hungry birds ... He clenches his fist and punches through the fence on reflex.

Then he beats his fist against the top of it, splinters of wood embedding themselves in his skin. )

Stop ... Stop ...

( His breathing is labored; the opposite hand is digging furrows down his face. )

Fuck ... Nemu ... Nemu, please ...

( Anyone happening across him now might recognize he's having flashbacks, eyes turned unseeing to the space in front of him ... )

005 ⦁ BLOODSPORT | prufrock district | open.

( Oh, this is certainly a way to let it out.

He's all too quick to put on his mask again, a comfort of sorts, and tear into monster after monster.

After felling his third on his own, he's not had enough. )

Gimme another. Fuck, gimme two. Things are fucking weak!

006 ⦁ WILDCARD.

( want a starter or something else? hit me up @ vandalisto if you would like to plot/discuss! )

Comments

[deathrespect]

( When Qrow grabs his hands, there's a sharp intake of breath, all surprised and deep. The scenery that plagued him so melts away from in front of his eyes. Horror and embarrassment flood him when he realizes what was going on; he swallows thickly, pulls his hands back. )

... Guess not. It was real convincing though.

( A weak laugh. )

cw: brief mention of alcoholism recovery

[bolstafir]

[Ah, good. He's snapped out of it. Qrow wasn't sure it was going to be that easy, but he's glad it was, for both their sakes.

Qrow's also not one to pry, so he doesn't ask who Nemu is, or otherwise address the content of the man's panic at all. Instead, he just rolls a shoulder, almost casual.]

Yeah, it was like that in Deerington, too.

[He doesn't quite feel comfortable leaving the man to his own devices just yet, though.]

...You know, there's a pizza place a bit up the road from here. Food's always a good distraction when I feel like shit.

[There's an offer there, though he doesn't state it quite so openly. A bit over a year ago, he would've offered to share a drink instead, which he imagines would be more helpful in this situation. But staying sober is important to him now, and he isn't about to risk that by going into a bar, however concerned he might be about this stranger.]

[deathrespect]

It's nightmare after nightmare.

( He shakes his head to further dislodge the thoughts that threaten to take hold. )

Ah. Yeah.

( His hand comes to the furrows on his face, gently skirting them this time. Fuck. )

Food might be good. I ... don't think I've been eating right. Even since I got here.

[bolstafir]

For what it's worth, you do get used to it.

[He doesn't even sound particularly resigned about that, honestly; Deerington and Deer Country, for all their frustrating qualities, are still far preferable to being back in Remnant.]

...But it can take awhile. You got any friends or family around here that can remind you?

[Currently his suspicion is firmly in the realm of "no". But this is a stranger. Checking up on someone to make sure they're eating right would be uncomfortably sentimental for someone he's close to, let alone someone he doesn't know. But maybe he can quietly nudge this guy in the direction of one of his teenagers that mother hens habitually.]

Feel like I'd forget half the time if it wasn't for Oscar shoving casseroles at everyone at our place whenever he can.

[deathrespect]

( He nearly blurts out he doesn't want to get used to it, but what's the point in that? He's here either way. )

No. I got no one.

( He starts off walking, looking back a little to Qrow and going slow. )

It can be hard. You're lucky though.

[bolstafir]

[He flinches slightly at 'lucky', but for once makes no comment. That is one regard in which he really is lucky. He doesn't know how he would've coped if he'd ended up in Deerington, and then here, all alone.]

Mm, well. We definitely have too much casserole. If you want to take some off our hands sometime.

[Offering friendship to a stranger right off the bat because he's alone might be somewhat of a bridge too far. But this is easier, and makes it sound like it's something that benefits Qrow.]

[deathrespect]

( The flinch; he pauses himself, but looks down as they walk. )

I'd feel better about eating if someone else made it, I think. Heh.

( His voice sounds shaky and weak and, still, his fingers gently skirt the furrows again and again. )

... Messed up my money maker.

[bolstafir]

Not much for cooking, huh?

[He feels that. Qrow himself can do the basics that will keep a human alive, but nothing particularly good is coming out of that situation. TV dinners, boiled noodles, and mac and cheese are about the height of his capability.

The young man running his fingers down his face has Qrow pause, though.]

...Think I heard something about a hospital, around here. Don't know if that'd help, but it might be worth a try.

[It's pretty rare for people from his world to injure themselves severely enough to scar, after all. Aura takes care of most things.]

[deathrespect]

( He stiffens, stops in his tracks. )

I, ah. Had to cook quite a bit, actually. It was just for someone else. Nemu.

( He looks down. )

It's easier to eat when you got a little sister nagging. She'd take over in the kitchen sometimes.

( He nods, then, and starts walking again. )

I got some a Blood Ministry gig too. Might be worth looking into if I really did fuck up my mug.

[bolstafir]

Oh.

[That's the name this man was calling before. Qrow assumes something awful happened to her, but he's not about to ask unless he offers the information on his own.]

...My older niece Yang did that for her sister sometimes. [A beat] Well, more like she heated up frozen dinners in the microwave, but that's practically a home-cooked meal in our house.

[Especially while Tai was in his Depressions, back then.]

Hey if not, you could always say you got it fighting a monster or something, make it sound as kickass as possible.

[#nailedit???]