scawwy: pc: iwatooshi

[trashprince]

[ all i want to see is a giant ma-an...

real meme coming later ]

Comments

week0 monday;

[trashprince]

[ the raincheck has come and caelus approaches the theater with a torch (a stick on fire) in one hand and his baseball bat in the other. ]

There's probably nothing down there, but I want a hundred percent completion.

[ caelus is sporting a sick neck tattoo that reads receptacle. ]

[naginota]

[ oh they are absolutely going to burn this place down aren't they

on the plus side! iwatooshi now has his naginata, so even if one of them falls down into the trap room, they'll have leverage! ]

We can never know if we don't look, after all! [ what does a hundred percent completion mean though.

also! his own tattoo is on his arm! it's partially obscured by the robes, but seems to involve a very large number, well over a thousand. ]

week 0, thursday

[naginota]

[ scraps the tl i was writing for this now he's looking vaguely troubled as they meet. ]

Caelus-dono, I have a problem. [ a very serious one, judging from his demeanor. ] It seems that all the candy I collected last night has disappeared.

[trashprince]

Iwatooshi...








Mine's gone, too. [ were they the only targets or is this a mass candy extinction event? ]

week0 friday;

[trashprince]

[ it's ya boy caelus here. sitting on a bench, staring into the pyre, holding baseball bat with both hands--vertical, so it can dig into the ground. leave a dent. a dent smaller than the one in the barn.

part of whatever killed aventurine.

he doesn't notice iwa's approach. he's not all there. ]

[naginota]

[ he watches caelus for a moment, solemn. grief is difficult, when you have a heart, and he seemed to be familiar with aventurine. it is natural that he'd be feeling out of sorts, so there's a moment that iwatooshi considers leaving, that he may deal with these feelings in peace.

but ultimately, he exhales slowly and steps closer to find his own place to sit, carefully settling his naginata against one shoulder, blade pointed away from the flames.

after a moment of respectful silence, he says softly, ] Knowing what could come to pass never makes it easier, when it does.

week 0, sunday

[naginota]

[ well naturally he's going to seek out caelus, after that. where are you, buddy, how are you looking. ]

[trashprince]

[ since he's always a shell of a man, it's hard to say if he's a broken shell of a man, but he is dour. he can be found wandering that open space between the mortuary and abandoned theater. when he sees iwatooshi, he stops his pacing. ]

I saw the rice bowls.

[ places this after update ok gotta also thank in character ]

Thanks, Iwatooshi. It means a lot.

week 1, monday

[naginota]

Caelus-dono!

[ that's your warning before caelus is going to be picked up in the biggest bear hug of his LIFE. he might even get a little twirl for funsies before he's set back down. ]

Have you seen the beach yet?! We should make a sand castle! I've heard it's fun, but I've never tried it myself!

[trashprince]

Iwatooshi!

[ there is not a split-second of indecision before caelus wraps his arms around the back of iwatooshi's neck, both returning the hug and stabilizing himself for twirling.

back on his feet, he releases iwa as well, although there remains the urge to continue some form of contact.

caelus commits to a hand settled on the other's arm ]

Show me the way.

week1 wednesday;

[trashprince]

[ on the beach, carrying a coconut, caelus discovers the sandcastle he and iwatooshi are building in that other thread--yes! it yet stands! slanted on the west side, but that can be fixed. he sets the coconut down. smiles when he sees iwatooshi nearby ]

It's here.

[naginota]

[ as caelus approaches, he'll find iwatooshi, still as a stone as he watches the waves ebb and flow with his weapon tucked under an arm. he starts when caelus speaks, but glances down to the sand castle and offers a nod and a faint smile in return. ]

So it is. [ with markedly less enthusiasm than usual. ] Your idea to build the moat worked out even better than we expected.

week 1, sunday

[naginota]

[ a new rule... iwatooshi is looking at it with a frown. ]

So not finding a partner won't reduce the risks of this place. They really have set it up so we spill blood quickly.

[trashprince]

[ reading as well. thank goodness they're both literate. ]

Have you told anyone yours, yet?

w2 monday

[trashprince]

[ this would have been set on tuesday but i cannot do pickles talk around memshares. are you trying to kill me, mods??

caelus sees iwatooshi, perhaps outside the gas station, and is quick to shout his name-- ]

Iwatooshi!

[ and jog in his direction.

that is, until the pair of them are flung into darkness and awaken in the bright of a world enshrouded in snow and ice, far, far away.

cocolia has fallen to a stellaron.

it might be a trip, following along as caelus races and climbs and leaps upon that ancient machine. time and again, he's about to lose his grip or fail to make a landing, but one of his companions has his back. so, he can't fail them.

he doesn't know why he's able to follow his own will and not the voice of the stellaron inside him. it's not fair that cocolia couldn't ward off its false promises, that she now battles on behalf of the end of her world.

she kills him. tries to, anyway. awakens, instead, a sense of preservation. caelus' end has been foretold. this isn't it.

this concludes in a daughter losing her mother, a feeling caelus will never quite understand. it hurts, anyway. bronya doesn't deserve to suffer.

and when they return to scawwy, the present, their individual minds and memories, caelus burns inside. he opens and closes his fists. he misses his lance. ]

[naginota]

[ losing a mother isn't something that iwatooshi can understand, either, but death... death, and grieving, he knows. he reaches out, touching caelus on the shoulder. ]

Caelus-dono.

week 2, wednesday

[naginota]

The puppy says hello, Caelus-dono! Have you tried this thing they call "coffee"? The puppy says that it's surprisingly tasty!

[ shouting as usual, while holding a cup of coffee! probably. if we're lucky, it's not another one of karlach's concoctions, but who's to say?

but how else do you end a day of capitalism but in a pit of darkness? enjoy:

"Hey, Iwatooshi," Imanotsurugi calls back to you as you watch your former masters' backs retreat down the road. they'll be safe, you think. you've done your jobs well, but the satisfaction vanishes the instant that he continues speaking. "Do I exist?"

...as the moment you've been dreading finally arrives. you freeze in place, unsure of what to say. words won't come, no matter how hard you try, and when he prods you for an answer... you laugh as you would any other day, like a reflex.

"Of course you do!" you assure him cheerfully, dropping a hand on his shoulder. your own doubts matter so much less than his peace of mind. after all, imanotsurugi is your world. "If you didn't exist, you wouldn't be here, right? Don't think about it."

the ease with which he agrees leaves guilt settling heavily in your stomach as you watch him run off again. was that the right thing to do, you wonder? what are you supposed to do now?

"A priest who tells lies is like the walker's cicada - rather hard to find, right?" a voice cuts into your ruminations, and you aren't in the mood to entertain such things, so you keep your eyes trained away, jaw set. defensiveness makes your shoulders tense, though you have no right to be.

"Are you calling me a liar, Mikazuki-dono?"

"What? I can tell it's a white lie."

a sudden anger spikes in your chest, and you whirl to face him, insisting, "I didn't want him to get hurt."

"It seems you've got yourself figured out. However, that's what you want. What about Imanotsurugi?" you pause to frown at him. what about imanotsurugi? you know him best, certainly better than mikazuki. "Well, that's your kindness. That reminds me! Perfect timing. Shall we have a look?"

taken aback and confused by the sudden change of subject, you ask, "Where are we going?"

"Kindness comes in many shapes," he answers, smiling that cryptic smile of his. though you aren't sure what he means, you follow.

---

he takes you to a spot overlooking a road, a checkpoint, where a pair of priests have been stopped by a guard. but not just any priests - you'd recognize those two faces anywhere. that's you and imanotsurugi's former masters, musashibou benkei and yoshitsune-kou themselves, in disguise. instantly, you know what he's brought you to see, but still not why.

as the tale goes, they needed to speak with yoshitsune's older brother, but he's had the guards cut off all roads and stop all priests to prevent just that. and so, the guard is suitably suspicious of the two, and declares that if they really are priests, they would have no issue reading their subscription list to prove their status. they have no such thing, of course. but benkei, once a mountain monk himself, is clever, and pulls out a false scroll to being reciting the sutras by heart.

--

"That's..."

"Does it remind you of something?" Mikazuki asks, not taking his eyes off the spectacle before you both. you gnash your teeth anxiously, thinking of the play that you couldn't finish, the scene that's yet to come.

"Is this what you wanted to show me, Mikazuki-dono?"

"Yes, I knew you two were rehearsing this story."

--

once the recitation finishes, the guard sends them on their way. except - when yoshitsune moves past, he stops them again. the young monk resembles the lord kuro, he says, suspicious once more. and of course he does - "kuro" is his other name, the man himself. they've been caught.

instead surrendering, benkei roars and grabs a fist full of yoshitsune's plain shirt, throwing him roughly to the dirt while brandishing his staff.

"Do you have any idea how much trouble your resemblance to Yoshitsune-kou is causing me? Now that it's come to this, I have no choice!"

as he raises his staff above his head, yoshitsune kneels to accept the blow, and so - benkei strikes his own master, ignoring how it must be tearing his heart to shreds. once, twice, three times. he doesn't even drop the act when the guard tries to stop him, screaming in rage that he doesn't care if he kills this young man for all the trouble he's caused. he carries the blame, so he should be punished. benkei hits him again, again, again, again, and again, screaming to the heavens how much he hates this boy, and doesn't stop until the guard himselfs moves in the way to block him, giving them permission to pass. bleeding, in pain, yoshitsune struggles to his feet and limps down the road, benkei trailing after him in silence.

--

"Mikazuki-dono." your voice is soft, contemplative.

"Hmmm?"

"Kindness comes in many shapes, right?"

"To help him," Mikazuki explains, instead of answering you directly, "Benkei beat Yoshitsune, a man whom he respected. Yoshitsune believed in Benkei and let himself be beaten. And the guard was struck by their devotion and let them pass. All three showed kindness." he smiles and says, "I love that play."

it's different from how you saw it before, bringing a new perspective to how you think of it. your master is a stronger man than you realized, isn't he? to show his devotion in a way you couldn't have dreamed of, not so long ago, in your fear of hurting your beloved partner.

and it isn't just about the subscription list, either, is it?

"...My kindness may have been selfish," you admit, solemn. it may have been a white lie, but it was still a lie. you owe imanotsurugi the truth.

"it's up to Imanotsurugi whether he gets hurt by the truth. You can't treat him like a child forever. I think he's more mature than you think. In my opinion, he's forcing himself act be more childlike for your sake."

"You're right, Mikazuki-dono. I still have a lot to learn."

"Don't we all?" he laughs, not unkindly. "We repeatedly make mistakes and take detours. That's how we grow."

...well! that was fun! iwatooshi only sighs in irritation. ]

[trashprince]

[ awww! it's sweet that iwatooshi is sticking to the pickles rule. caelus tried, but losing yet another barn member made the act impossible to keep up. something about the spirit being willing but the body so done with saying 'the puppy' before every sentence. iwatooshi's diligence is admirable.

his memory, less so, but it wasn't caelus' to see in the first place. it begins right away at a private painpoint, a moment that caelus has heard about but couldn't grasp the scope of through words alone.

watching a man beat his respected master turns caelus' stomach, the lesson to be gained so unsavory if poignant for iwatooshi's predicament.

it continues: iwatooshi admits his kindness 'may have been selfish.' caelus knows what that's like. and they're both spat out from the memory in the same place they began.

less happy, less cute than before.

iwatooshi knows he needs to tell his partner the truth. so why is the memshare pushing the issue?? huh??? ]

Your 'kindness'... is kinda old-fashioned. You have to update it, that's all. But you can learn how to be kind differently. Learning to be kind when you aren't is a much greater hurdle.

[ thinking of some other people in the village but even smalltext not naming names. ]

week 3, sunday

[naginota]

[ he's come to the cemetery to wait for the new arrivals, pacing restlessly until he hears a sound and - there he is. iwatooshi makes his way over with a small smile, one that doesn't quite reach his eyes. ]

Caelus-dono.

[trashprince]

Iwatooshi.

[ it's been a pretty emotional day and it looks like it's not going to get any better. he sees that look he knows what it's like. him, most of his time at the pyre last night. the fake smile to assure everyone else you're not crushed. ]

Hey.

[ ...even if he's not sure for the exacts of why ]

Sorry.

week 4, friday

[trashprince]

[ it's early and caelus is in the funky fashionista, currently shirtless. his usual top(s... it's hard to tell with that black strap) are in a takeout bag from the food court.

he's just going through the plain tshirts, shoving anything with a pattern aside to find something solidly one color.

seeing it's iwa walking in, a tired smile. ]

Hey.

[naginota]

[ ah. he offers a smile in return, and a short bow of his head as usual. ]

Caelus-dono. How are you feeling?

[ he assumes that he'd stuck next to aventurine all night. it's what iwatooshi would've done, if it were a close friend. ]

week 4, ALSO FRIDAY

[trashprince]

[ friday, but later. and sadder. caelus in the black shirt, still, although he's taking a break from pacing the hospital and pacing in general. the fountain calls to him for whatever reason--

well, apparently an important one. he sees iwatooshi already there. ]

Hey.

[naginota]

[ likewise iwa's probably still wearing whatever kimono they picked out for him, and his arm is hooked protectively around his naginata as usual. but unlike before, his eyes are watery when he looks up at caelus from his letters, startled. ]

Caelus-dono...

[ he looks away quickly to rub at his eyes with the kimono sleeve. he is a little bit of a mess rn gomen. ]

week 4, saturday

[naginota]

[ what a long day. it's not for a while, but if caelus happens to wander out to the island at some point tonight, he might hear a voice coming from the beach, singing quietly, ]

Dear morning moon,
why do you shine upon this wasteland of grief and longing
hidden within that everlasting promise we made?

[trashprince]

[ caelus pauses at the edge of the sand, unsure if this should count as intrusive. but he knows that voice. it's not one that typically wards him off.

so he follows the sound until he finds iwatooshi. he takes a seat and copies his posture.

if there's more he wishes to sing, it isn't caelus' intention to interrupt. ]

week 5, monday

[naginota]

[ you said something about the ferris wheel before so throws them onto the boardwalk! iwatooshi's sporting a light yukata today, but he's got his naginata back! yay! right now he's just looking out at the amusement park with a sense of wonder, simply radiating curiosity and excitement. ]

I saw some of the others here, but it's different to see it for yourself. It almost looks like a festival!

[trashprince]

[ ferris wheels. they're for [redacted].

caelus must have rested. he must have. because he's not wobbling on his feet and the bags under his eyes are no longer designer but mild, liable to disappear sooner rather than later.

he radiates... calm? the vibes are so chill. ]

I've never been somewhere quite like this, either. It's like a low budget Penacony Dreamworld.

week 5, wednesday

[naginota]

[ iwatooshi is still kind of drunk post-party but he's contentedly wandering back toward the apartments, taking it slow. it's nice and quiet out here, sometimes - peaceful even. but there is a spark of curiosity as he speaks up! ]

Caelus-dono, I have a question for you.

[ maybe several. he doesn't know. it all boils down to the same thing. ]

[trashprince]

[ yeaaaah he could have seen this coming. caelus paid attention to how iwatooshi talked about the kiss before he found it necessary to pop in and go 'mind ur own beeswax' to a woman he's been trying to give space since he almost murdered her wizard bestie. but that's how it be sometimes. ]

I'll answer anything you ask.

[ of course he will. it's iwa. ]

week 5, friday

[trashprince]

[ some marks remain around either of caelus' eyes, but it's anime scarring, he's fine. the eyejellies themselves are restored! they are yellow and bright and animal once more.

his hair, however, remains so, so long. waist-length. annoying. he looks for iwatooshi quite on purpose, although they likely didn't separate for long post that walk to the spring.

where he at? his apartment maybe? ]

Hey, Iwa.

[naginota]

[ sure he can be at his apartment! i never wrote a description for it but it's got a cozy, traditional japanese style to it: tatami flooring, what looks to be shoji screens for walls with intricate paintings, a shelf of books and scrolls, a folded futon in one corner, even a bonsai plants on a small table. in the center of the space is the kotatsu, with cushions to sit around. a teapot and a few cups sit unused on the tabletop next to a small, broken blade. his naginata's resting in its stand for now. the only thing that doesn't seem to fit is a pin board on on the wall, displaying a variety of keychains.

anyway caelus catches him in the secondary robes of his battle garb, the sode already sitting atop the folded cowl and purple layer. he looks up to offer a small smile, but the vibes are mostly just tired and a bit sad. their kate... their cyoaers... today's been a little upsetting. ]

Hello, Caelus-dono. Are you feeling any better?

w6 monday

[naginota]

[ time for a very special moment that will definitely not be derailed by whatever delulu nonsense pops out of their heads! they're at the dojo, where iwatooshi always starts the day, but he's not here to train, for once. so he'll simply hold the naginata in both hands like an offering for caelus to take. ]

Are you sure you'll be able to handle me? There are few who can, you know - even Rondo-dono struggled.

[ teasing, but he's looking forward to it. ]

[trashprince]

[ NO DELULU. not today! you can't do that to him! caelus has longed for this moment since, well, he found out it was allowed. so, like, not a full ten days, maybe, but that's a lot of longing during so much turmoil.

no more emotion or thoughtshare, and yet the beams of confidence coming off of caelus are practically visible to the naked eye. ]

Rondo's strong, but he's used to wielding Fisty. [ sorry it's too good a nickname not to use

reaches out. sets his hands along the shaft (sword). i guess it's called the e-bu actually. ]

I want to wield you. [ is THIS bottom behavior??? ]

week 6, thursday

[trashprince]

[ caelus sits near enough to the healing springs that he can hear if anyone calls, but not hovering, not leaning over the edge. that's no good for any of those using the waters and actually healing.

but he does wait. there's nowhere else he can even imagine himself going.

every small sound has him checking over his shoulder, so he'll be looking whenever iwatooshi does exit. ]

[naginota]

[ eventually he comes out wearing a loose yukata, and... are those gloves on his hands? sure, maybe! he looks surprised to see caelus here, but smiles like nothing happened today.

what he can see of iwa's injuries seem to be mostly healed - maybe a bit red and sore, but in no danger of reopening or making it impossible to spar, if he's so inclined (he will be).

his eyes are also green. ]

Caelus-dono. Were you waiting fur Ninya-dono?

week 6, saturday

[naginota]

[ i started this midtrial and now i'm like :tails: SO MUCH HAPPENED but he promised caelus an explanation but he's sad about laudna and ashlyn now too aaaaaaa

anyway as they're leaving trial iwa pulls out a little vial of blue liquid and downs it in one shot. ]

[trashprince]

[ no iwa don't take zydrate that's bad for you ]

What's that?

[ blue?? has he ever known iwa to devour blue before? ]

week 7, monday

[trashprince]

[ hugging iwatooshi's arm and dragging him to the lakeside amusement park. they went on one big wheel, but there's a second here as well as spinning teacup rides and a shockingly notable lack of other people. just them. is it a date? probably. did iwatooshi get told it's a date to his face? no. the alpha hadn't kicked in yet.

but it will. any moment now. ]

Have you come here with anyone yet? I went on the cup ride with Miss Robin.

[ not the wheel. that's different. ]

[naginota]

[ he probably still doesn't know what a date is I'm this context so it's fine if he doesn't know. anyway he's just looking around curiously and wondering why they have a second amusement park?? was this necessary. ]

No, I haven't. I had no idea that you could ride in tea cups, but I think Mikazuki-dono would appreciate the idea very much. [ that dude really loves his tea.

iwa gives caelus an amused smile as he's dragged along. ]

Is that where you're taking me?

w7 monday........2

[naginota]

[ wipes away a tear. the second the curse ends, iwatooshi offers the other too a mortified bow and runs off to find a certain trailblazer. where are you, sir. he saw that reaction even if it wasn't his priority at the time. ]

Caelus?

[ the vibes are horribly guilty, worried... maybe even a little flustered. ]

[trashprince]

[ sitting by the fountain with icecream that has fully melted into a creamy soup with chocolate chunks at the bottom. he's churning it with his spoon.

looks up when he hears iwa's voice call his name.

then down again.



it's been several hours but caelus has no idea how long that lovey-dovey effect is going to last for. the vibes are uncertain. ]

Were you looking for me? [ rather than someone else ]

Week 7, Friday

[trashprince]

[ kate's plan has been voted into action and tomorrow is the day of reckoning. Someone, any of them, may break. so he wants to see iwatooshi and Caelus seeks him out with a blunt single mindedness. Where would he be? The dojo again, maybe. ]

Hey.

[naginota]

[ sure he can be at the dojo. just going through the motions of training because what else are we gonna do before we maybe die for real? gotta get that restless energy out somehow.

but he pauses when caelus speks up, turning to face him with a small smile. ]

Hello, Caelus.

w7 saturday

[naginota]

[ where is caelus... iwa's coming to find him a bit later, after everything's calmed down and he's had time to be healed and clean up and change into clothes that aren't totally shredded. the vibes are calm, but alert - as if he's ready for something else to try and sneak up on them at any moment. ]

Caelus. [ how is he looking, is he doing okay? ] You fought well today.

[ your rolls bro ]

[trashprince]

[ caelus hasn't changed clothes, but he also kept rolling insanely high so after his big bad fall in part one, starboy did a decent job holding it together.

less when he glances over and saw iwatooshi in any sort of trouble.

it's over now, though. they're together again. caelus is close, immediately. ]

You, too. Do you feel yourself again?