deercountry | And if I need a rhythm

Entry tags:

ichimonji hayato: jami

And if I need a rhythm

Who: Hayato and YOU
What: Open Prompts around Trench
When: The month of February
Where: Willful Machine, The Raccoon Room, Trench city streets.

Content Warnings: Possible event warnings, which will be updated if it happens.

[Prompt 1: Willful Machine]

[Hayato was nothing if not adaptable. He’s lived a preposterously strange and dangerous life and if he was good and stuck here, then he had to make the best of it while he tried to understand his situation better. He was a people person, despite the often solitary life he had to live, and he found he did his best work immersing himself in the people around him. Trench was an endlessly fascinating, if baffling, city, and the people here were equally curious.]

[He’s spent plenty of time flagging down Sleepers for information, so this time he’s focusing a little on the locals. They’re friendly and more than willing to speak to him, which is nice, though a little strange. There’s a weird irreverence for Sleepers from the locals — Trenchies — and he’s not sure what to make of that.]

[For now he can be found speaking to a family just outside a clothing shop. It seems they’re explaining to him a bit about the philosophies of practical vs indulgent, and Hayato is listening with rapt attention. After a moment he asks for a picture, and delighted, the Trenchies oblige.]

[He steps back with his camera.]

Alright now. Say squid legs!

[The kids laugh, and Hayato snaps the photo. Pleased, he stands up and offers them a small card.]

Thanks a bunch for speaking with me. Once I’ve got the means to develop these, I’ll send you a copy, yeah?

[Looks like he’s free now.]

[Prompt 2: Raccoon Room]

[Hayato’s been popping in and out of places around town to get a feel for the atmosphere. He’s seen a lot of interesting places! Lot’s of nightlife it seems like. It doesn’t take him long to stumble onto the Raccoon Room, which he finds out quickly is Sleeper run and owned. That was interesting.]

[Liking the vibe, Hayato finds himself a booth to sit at with a drink. It’s quieter in here for the moment, and so Hayato has his camera, a notebook, and some scattered papers he seems to be pouring over while he looks up occasionally to people watch, or take in any performance that might be happening on stage. You’d think someone wouldn’t be able to get any work done with the noise of a place like this, but it doesn’t seem to be bothering him any.]

[A fresh face with a unique sense of fashion, so clearly he is prime bothering material.]

[Prompt 3: He came with the storm]

[Beasts. This is what Anna had told him about. He sees now- they’re oddly far more grotesque than some of the monsters he’s had to fight, and yet, there is something sadder about it. These beasts were feral and vicious, but didn’t appear to be even remotely conscious of themselves.]

[It wasn’t like Shocker, or even Badan. Brainwashed monsters who spoke and acted with purpose. No …there was nothing like that in these Beasts, and so, the kindest thing to be done would be to put them down. He didn’t intend to take up the mantle of Hunter, but if he were in the right place at the right time, he wouldn’t turn his back on those who needed help.]

[And so, perhaps you are one of two options: 1. You happened to be in need of saving when the Beast came from the shadows with a roar. Or 2. You were already on the scene with the Beast and looked like you could use some help. Either way someone is in danger and back up has arrived in the dorm of a masked, armored figure.]

[A masked armored figure that greets the roar of the Beast by clocking it in the face and sending it hitting the ground with a bounce.]

Stay on your guard!

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[The masked figure pauses a moment, as silence falls around them. He’s listening to make sure that larger one is truly gone before he’s willing to relax. His hearing is extremely sharp so he’d know if it planned to sneak up on them. After a moment of nothing, his shoulders drop the smallest bit and he turns to look at his partner-in-crime.]

[…]

[Oh shit, is that Ciel??????]

[It’s a good thing he wears a full facial mask because the look on his face would be pretty funny! Luckily he keeps his reaction incredibly minimal and he debates for a few worried moments how to respond. In the end, the silence drags on just a moment too long before he speaks up. His voice is pitched just a little deeper but if Ciel is a perceptive person, she might still catch him.]

I think that was all of them. Have you sustained any injuries?

[Even if she fails to place exactly where she's heard that voice before, she doesn't miss on the fact that the his tone's just deepened for some reason contrasted to his entrance shout from earlier. That's strange... Is it the mask? Her gut feeling tells her it was intentional. Curious...

But first things first. She's quite certain it's a man, and he doesn't look hurt either. That armor does appear sturdy, and the aesthetic is too... ~~tokusatsu~~ heroic to be something native to Trench. Wherever this man is from, his getup highly likely came with him. If anything, it looks suspicious like...

...]

I'm okay. [She's not new to this, and neither is he, at least not where he's from. There isn't any trace of the friendly and cheery girl who ~~talked his ears off~~ answered questions and offered a croissant to a certain Ichimonji Hayato by the broadway, her attitude may pass her off as a different person completely were it not for the unmistakable look of her face. A twin? Not entirely impossible...]

It was reckless of you to jump in, but thank you for your assistance.

[There may be a slightly chiding quality to how the first half of that sentence came out, but she doesn't seem to be joking around. Came with the storm, indeed...]

[It’s weird being on the other side of this. Is this how Taki feels when he ends up bailing him out of danger? It’s second nature for him to see such a scene and leap in, but as he’s begun to learn about this place, a lot of the people are pretty capable of taking care of themselves.]

[It’s not a bad thing, not really, even if it puts him in an awkward position, like this one.]

[He nods, not seeming bothered by her words, at any rate, or even her current demeanor. It’s pretty unmistakably Ciel, at least he thinks so, but he can definitely understand shifting gears when one has a job to do. Wearing the mask makes that a lot easier for him, but there was always a certain way Hongo could do it, that Hayato could never quite master, that clear divide between Rider and his human identity.]

Sorry if I caused you any unwanted trouble.

[He thinks this is probably a very good time to leave, and he takes a step back to do that, when something changes. It’s a shift he feels very deep in his body, like something was ticking that he hadn’t previously noticed until now. The timer is up and in his second step away- he seizes up.]

[That’s weird.]

[Keeping a healthy work-life balance isn't the most straightforward thing especially depending on one's profession, there's no disputing that. But whatever that prompted him to act first and think later was from a place of concern and duty, and she has no serious intention to chew him out precisely because she understands that. They may be meeting for the first time (may), and he had no idea the person he caught facing off against the beast was perfectly capable of handling themselves, but he wanted to help, thus she had to also express her thanks by the same breath.

--Ah, but isn't this a waste? He's turning to leave without further ado, and she finds herself taking a small step forward.]

Wait. You did help incapacitate these beasts, their--?

[She doesn't manage to finish whatever she wanted to say. He didn't stop because she asked, she's intrinsically aware of that much. What's going on? She doesn't sense the pack leader with reinforcements, the alley is still quiet and calm. Is he okay, or had he picked up on something that she failed to account for...?]

[It’s a disorienting feeling, like the feeling of rusted gears jamming, but it’s every moving mechanical piece in his body. He’s already not used to feeling pain, or being so wholly aware of what goes on under his skin, that when every receptor suddenly goes off all he can do is gasp. It feels like someone poured molten lead into his blood stream.]

[Ah, that’s probably what it was. His blood.]

— Shit!

[He drops to one knee, clutching at his chest for a moment before there’s a brilliant flash of light. What’s there in the aftermath is someone familiar, struggling not to collapse.]

[He is also choking up a not insignificant amount of blood.]

[It happens so fast. What the masked and armored figure wore was just that, wasn't it? Mask and armor, not--

--It didn't matter. If there was any doubt before, the disappearance of it in a flash made it unmistakable and undeniable.]

Ichimonji-san!

[Her expression immediately collapses, and she's at his side within the next second, one gloved hand steadying his back to ensure he doesn't fall while the other raises a piece of cotton handkerchief to his chin. The strong scent of flora confirms it: Vileblood, use to numb and poison from what she's read and heard. The quantity of blood doesn't distract her, but she is trying hard to discern if it's "only" coming out of his mouth. What caused it? His transformation? More importantly, can she even heal it or at least soothe whatever that's happening to his body, given their Sleeper physiology and his particular brand of blood?

There's no way to know, so she tries. If it doesn't work, then nothing should happen (theoretically), but if it does, maybe it'll clear his lungs up, or make whatever he's going through somewhat more bearable. He may feel a cooling sensation from where her hand is steadying him at his back, she'll be sharply monitoring his situation regardless of how it may progress. He's... quite unlucky too, isn't he?]

[Very unlucky. He can’t even be all that mad about getting found out. That’s just what he gets for falling apart right there in front of her. It’s a terrible blow to his pride to worry someone like this, though. Ugh, what a mess.]

[He does not appear to be bleeding from anywhere, thankfully. It seems like whatever happened was entirely internal, and it had to come up somewhere. Unfortunately, it’s doing a hell of a number on him. He struggles to breathe for a few, horrifying moments before he chokes out:]

That’s never-!

[He turns his head to cough, and hopefully between that and her handkerchief he manages not to get anything on her. Whatever healing she’s using, does actually help, though. Whatever’s causing him problems starts to elevate just a bit, and when he clears his throat again, it sounds much better.]

That’s never happened before.

[Trench isn't some big metropolis - or at least, the Sleeper population isn't city-tier. More on the line of a village, she had previously debated if she could attempt anonymity with what she does at night. It didn't seem feasible in the end, especially considering powers from both their blood and others' varying world of origin, but she proceeded as usual anyway. The mindset helps with this kind of work, and in some part, with managing mental corruption too.

But people in this 'business' sure can agree on never wanting to falter in front of another, yes. How can you protect a city if you can't look after yourself? She wouldn't blame him, but she understands. There's only a sliver of relief - that this is happening in front her where she can do something to help, rather than on his lonesome away from where anyone can lend a hand. For that would surely be the worst alternative, struggling alone with a unknown affliction never experienced before.]

...Easy. Please don't force yourself, sit down if it may help. [It's fine if this gets messy. Obtaining Trench-appropriate hunting gear was among the first things she did, commissioning a robe similar in design to her habit with better protective material and starting to wear gloves as advised by the locals.]

Our bodies changed when we awoke in this world, a lot can affect us in inexplicable ways here. [The taro buns were benign, the shedding less so, and she's sure she'll bear witness to plenty more for as long as she retains her sense of self under this Pthumerian sky. More importantly, what more can she do for him? He doesn't seem to be in danger of choking on his own blood, but he can't exactly be called stable, either. Would a local blood minister be of any help...?]

[It’s that it likely would have happened that way, if his body hadn’t made the decision for him. His own reasons for trying to maintain a separate identity at the start were numerous, but the most important reason was surprisingly selfish on his end. He just really doesn’t like it when people find out there’s something more to him than just Hayato the Photographer. That his body is, in his own words, something monstrous.]

[Kamen Rider as a separate entity is a warrior for justice, a being who fights evil from the shadows. He will always have to stigma of being made in the same image as the monsters he fights. He could accept that so long as he could continue being Hayato on his own terms. When the agency of that divide is inevitably ripped out of his hands, there’s always something to grieve there.]

[He stops struggling after a moment, and thinks better of trying to move while he’s in this state. With resignation, he sits down, leaning against the wall of the alley. He lets out a low chuckle but it’s not very humorous. If anything he looks contrite.]

My blood doesn’t play nice with certain parts of my body. I guess …that form must have put too much strain on it. [That’s the only explanation he had, anyway. It made sense when he’d dealt with his blood melting parts of his cybernetics in the past.]

I’m very sorry Ciel-san, I’ve inconvenienced you quite a lot tonight.

[But no matter what you do, what (mask) you wear, how you're perceived, or what you're made of, none of that changes who someone is fundamentally at their core. She understands that, and what it means to walk in the world's shadow. Everyone's got their own reasons and feelings over what they got to do, naturally, but when push comes to shove...

...]

Well then, you mustn't strain yourself again in the future! Still, you should go see a Blood Minister to be on the safe side. I don't know a reputable one myself, unfortunately, but you should have your condition looked at as soon as possible. [She's openly frowning now, watching him with careful concern and not quite able to keep the mildly admonishing tone out of her voice.]

Please don't apologize, you haven't done anything like that at all. You were trying to help, and you had no idea this could happen. Where do you live, Ichimonji-san? I'll take you home.

[The aloof guise from before completely abandoned, she's now actively fretting over him as if she simply came across him injured, the details of their earlier circumstances completely cast aside when he's sporting such a nasty splatter at the front of his shirt. ...Is it dissolving the material? Vileblood does supposedly have potent toxic abilities, but she wouldn't be able to say for sure when her limited firsthand experience only involves her own type. Either way, she's certainly not going to just leave him there, and he's got another thing coming if he's hoping to wave her off and head back on his own.]

[The mention of a Blood Minister sends an unpleasant chill down his spine. He tries not to wince at those words, but he’s hardly in a state to control reactions like that. He doesn’t know that much about the practice, but the thought of going near any doctor that isn’t specifically the staff of doctors Spirits hired to work on cyborgs does something unpleasant to his nerves.]

[Nothing good’s ever come from being poked at by a doctor, you see. Especially not to someone like him.]

Don’t worry, I heal quick, promise. If… [He pauses, because he already knows her to be the sort to fuss, and adds.] If I’m not in better shape after some sleep, I’ll look into it.

[His clothes are intact, for now! If Ciel were to really keep an eye on it, the fabric would be fine …but any inorganic material like say, a button or a zipper, will start to melt and dissolve. His specific blood seems to target inorganic materials and leaves the rest alone. Even if Ciel managed to get some on her, she’d find it’s effects on her skin to be remarkably mild.]

[Anyway, he doesn’t fight her on taking him home. He’s learned!]

I have a studio in Willful Machine. It’s a little bit of a walk, I’m afraid.

[...Well, she can't blame him. She's spoken to a few local Blood Ministers, mainly to ask questions about blood types and what they do, but can't say she's in any hurry to become a patient herself for more reasons than one. He does seem well enough to carry on a conversation without running short of breath or anything, he doesn't LOOK to be in active pain either (though looks may be misleading, she's keenly aware).

The specifics of what his spilled blood does to different types of material is noted from the corner of her eye, she doesn't linger beyond making a mental note.]

You need to eat, too. Do you have enough provision stocked? [He is absolutely correct, and if it's starting to sound like she may come over with food to his place herself if need be, it's very much not just his imagination.]

That's okay, I can carry you. You shouldn't exert yourself more than you already have. [She plainly states without batting an eyelash, looking and sounding as serious as she is confident. Potential imagery issues aside, while it's probably not difficult to believe she can lug more than what her looks may suggest after that skirmish with the beasts, would it make apparent how his body may not weight the same as a normal person's...?]

[He’s definitely in pain, but he’s better at keeping that off his face than he is most other things. He’s had years of practice, even if he can feel pain much better than he’s used to. That’ll change the moment he has to move again, though.]

[Ah, about food.]

I- uh. [Geez.] You’ll be disappointed by what I have, but it’s because I really don’t need to eat. …Normally, anyways.

[Which is to say, he probably should, in this case. It’ll probably help his blood replenish. At her suggestion of carrying him, Hayato is already trying to get back to his feet. It would be a blow to his pride to get bridal carried home, but also now he can’t quite get around the elephant in the room here, which is his nature.]

No, no, I can walk- I don’t doubt your strength, Ciel-san, but I’m a lot heavier than I look.

["Doesn't need to eat", he says. "Lot heavier than I look", he says.

...

Well, she knows better than to drill an injured person, but don't think she'll forget about this anytime soon!!]

Then what do you normally do to recover your strength? Food and rest are the two best remedies, and trying to walk when you're like this isn't going to help you get better! [...Alright, now she's chiding him. But she isn't going to try to literally sweep him off his feet either ~~just yet~~, opting to prop him up by sliding an arm beneath his shoulder at his side to support him and gradually help him stand instead. She's carefully watching his reaction, it'll give her a general idea of his weight too; he doesn't look nearly steady enough to NOT end up leaning on her via the laws of physics alone, so he'll have to simply accept her help, one way or another.]

--Easy, now. We have time, so please take it slow.

[At this point he’s accepted that he’s going to have to tell her. She saw him untransform from Kamen Rider, so there’s nothing to be done about it.]

[He is much more amendable to being supported this way, and it’s probably clear from what he does lean on her that he does need the help. She can also tell he’s pretty dang heavy. Heavy enough that he has a mostly rational fear of airplanes. ~~If one goes down over the ocean nothings going to stop him from sinking like a rock, you know?~~]

Rest is usually enough. Rest and repairs.

[He keeps a slow pace. If she wants to ask questions, this is probably a good time, since they have a ways to go.]

I don’t think whats wrong will warrant me popping open my insides, though. It takes a lot to impede the self-healing aspect of my body. [He lets out a low chuckle.] Haaa, I could be wrong, though! My blood is organic now, so maybe I do need to start eating. I wonder if I can buy orange juice in this place.

[A hunk of human-sized metal, huh? No wonder he didn't look eager at the mention of Blood Ministers. It's her first thought as she takes assessment of his weight, and... Well, considering that she can lug like 120kg around and still fight, he's not the worst thing, maybe? Maybe.]

Then you would want to find a mechanic you can trust as soon as possible, ideally. [She doesn't bat an eyelash at his indirect confession of being perhaps more machine than man, as if he's simply told him the letter of his blood type of the Earthly variety. Vampires, onis, elves, a giant rat man... Someone whose body may be more metal than flesh who dons a masked and armored getup that looked suspiciously bug-like going around playing hero is not the weirdest thing she's come across, not by a long shot.

...

Ah well. She'll humor him for now, letting him lead the pace, but at the rate it's going, she might change her mind and opt for a different sort of transportation later on if this takes TOO long. Don't want to take all night, yes? And those beasts they left back in the alley COULD fetch nicely on the market, it would be a shame to lose them to scavengers. Not that it'd be too bad even if something like that were to happen, she can probably recoup this easily enough some other night later on.]

Our bodies may be different now, but I doubt vitamin C will help you recover from something like this. You should at least try a balanced diet with plenty of protein. If you want to look like a healthy young man, then of course you should also eat like one!

[It would be a good time to ask questions, wouldn't it? But there he is, getting lectured on diets while also being crutch carried back to his place after an attempt to be heroic spectacularly backfired. Just another night in Trench apparently, at least from the way she seems to be taking all this in stride...?]

[He is very appreciative of her letting him keep his pride for now, and he will earnestly try to maintain their pace! He is not terribly injured, after all, he is just extremely exhausted and recovering from some …moderate blood loss. That’s all!]

I’ve been looking, don’t worry. It’s just hard to find someone in that specific niche without having to go straight to the network.

[Which he may have to just bite the bullet and do. He’s not looking forward to it.]

Eeeeeh? Are you telling me I don’t look good for thirty-eight, Ciel-san?

[She is taking it all in stride, so Hayato isn’t going to hold back with teasing, now. This is what she gets for all the fussing: Hayato being a pain int he ass.]

[She will not take his word for it, but she won't argue with him for the sake of his peace of mind. As long as they're trudging along!]

Why haven't you? It's possible to send messages anonymously through the Omni, and people post all sorts of things publicly there. I don't think asking about mechanics would look out of place.

[Unless he's worried about his true identity that is, but it's part of why she raised the anonymous point.]

[...

She is Looking - or well, more Side-Eyeing him (as they keep walking), and not being the least bit subtle about it.]

Goodness, that means you're practically an old man. [It does not, but that doesn't matter right now.] I'm aware that the Japanese hobby of cosplaying isn't seen as something childish like dressing up, but doesn't that still make you past your prime? Gallivanting out at night like a superhero at your age, what if you threw out your back - or worse?

[WELL. If this is how he wants to play, who is she to spoil his fun? Throwing shades at his unexpected malfunction isn't nice, no, but he IS all but asking for it. It's a good sign, though; if he's well enough to joke around, then there shouldn't be anything truly dangerous and pressing to worry about.]

[Hey, guess what, time to deflect away from her first point entirely by playing up the teasing! Just as he'd planed (it isn't, but he'll gladly take it). His voice is way more exaggerated, now.]

So cruel, so cruel! Why can't I relive my glory days every once in a while? It's but the humble wish of an old man! Not to mention, someone has to keep all these whippersnappers in line.

[Yes, it seems like he will be just fine. The real concern would have been if he'd been unable to be a pest. That is Hayato's true self.]

[Deflection duly noted.]

Because then you malfunction and throw up blood all over the place, Ichimonjiji. [Yeah he didn't mishear that,] But goodness, how extra rude of me to make an injured old man walk. Up you go, then; please hang on and tell me once we're close to your studio, okay?

[is he ready to get his metal butt carried because (with a faint 'hmph!', he IS heavy but she's pretty confident she'll manage) it's happening, and she'll be picking up pace to something more of a jog. Now are we doing this the easy way (behave), or the hard way (or don't)...]

Eh?

[Ichimonjiji. Okay, so maybe that one is a blow to his pride because he's not that old, come on Ciel-san, he was kidding-]

Eeeeeh?!

[NEVERMIND, she's picking him up! Just like that! This is the first time he has been grateful neither his partner or best friend are here right now because he'd never live this down actually.]

Ciel-san, there really isn't a need to go that far-!

[It was right there. What did he expect when he was so eagerly running with the joke mere moments ago? For her to NOT roll with it?]

The faster we get back, the sooner you'll be able to lay down and get some proper rest. Now don't make things more difficult for me, please. Weren't you just apologizing earlier? I'll accept directions to your studio and your cooperation as tokens of your sincerity, I don't believe those things are too unreasonable to ask of an injured old man?

[His friends probably never met a one-woman army who specialized at hunting Things That Go Bump in the Night either, so it's nothing to be too ashamed of. Now is he going to keep an eye on the road, or is he going to let her pass right by his studio once they actually get there? ...Not that she knows where he lives, no, but he will be forthcoming with directions as she's just politely requested, won't he?]

[It was right there and he absolutely deserves to be called Ichimonjiji for the rest of his life.]

[Anyway, he stops his complaining pretty quick as Ciel goes on. Honestly, he's kind of impressed with how relentless she is once she's decided something, going as far to use his words against him to get his compliance. That is a person who knows exactly how to get what she wants.]

[He knows better than to fight those kinds of people.]

Fine, fine, you've got me. Turn down this street here.

[And he will gladly continue to give her the proper directions until they get to his apartment. It's a little studio above a small shop, nice and quaint. He will get the door open for her so Ciel can enter at her leisure and deposit Hayato where and when she likes.]

[The apartment is sparse, since he's not lived there long. He has a few cheap furniture things, like a futon in the living area, as well as a nice sized coffee table. There's another room that's firmly shut, and his kitchen which is pretty bare. Ciel won't find much in the way of food other than some rice and a small container of mushrooms in the fridge. He does have, however, a nice collection of teas.]

[Better pray to whatever God(s) he thinks may listen that they don't come to share Japanese acquaintances down the road, because his newly anointed and perfectly ~~deserved~~ fitting nickname is definitely not single use.

Regardless, how nice that they're finally on the same page! Jiji wisdom must have kicked in at long last. She doesn't waste time, and if nothing else, there's no denying that they get to his place much faster than it would've taken if he was permitted the mercy of keeping his ~~worthless~~ pride. She briefly considered dropping him off by his balcony, but ultimately decides against it. They'll enter the normal people way, and she'll be carefully depositing him on the first chair that crosses her line of sight.

Fully aware of her status as an uninvited guest who just so happens to end up here because of Circumstances, she doesn't give what she can see more than a cursory glance or goes snooping around as if it's her own place. She's got manners, after all. The simplistic and minimalist approach is noted, his Japanese background is certainly coming through with the futon and the teas.]

There. [That wasn't so hard, now was it? ...Hm, her arms ARE feeling a teensy sore, but a few hours of rest should be plenty to get back into form.] How are you feeling now, Ichimonji-san?

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expertonshutters - 2022-03-07 05:47 (UTC) - Expand

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expiera - 2022-03-09 04:11 (UTC) - Expand

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And if I need a rhythm

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1/2

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wb, hope RL's better for you now o/

yes, thank you o/

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