Kazuki
•
You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
|
Post by Kazuki on Sept 7, 2023 1:18:12 GMT 9
#s://cdn~discordapp~com/attachments/847006452118978590/1147842896519757855/200x200_moltres~png Moltres arrived at the prize exchange. Stuck in the growing line and being hounded by children (there was one clinging to his back, two on his shoulders, one on each leg, and another one attempting to yank out his tail), the mascot displayed incredible fortitude as he waited, flailing only with mild homicidal tendency.
When he reached the front desk, an arm stuck out from his beak, slamming down the ticket and con pass.
âRedeem this. Now,â the creature lying inside him growled, green eyes flashing in the shadow of his gullet as a child screamed into Moltres' nonexistent ear hole.
ROLLED A 7 IN R2D2
|
|
|
Kazuki
•
You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
|
Post by Kazuki on Sept 7, 2023 1:07:55 GMT 9
If anyone were to ask, Atsushi would say it was pure whimsy that drove him to squeeze himself into the tiny VR booth. Walking around in a Moltres mascot costume kind of utterly sucked, and since he still couldnât escape this labyrinth of a convention, he figured he might as well immerse himself in it â for as long as the oxygen levels allowed him.
The room he started off in didnât seem out of place for a haunted mansion. Ancient old money dining roomâthe only exceptions being the beer pong setup that replaced where a turkey dinner should be.
There was already some guy fumbling with the cups.
Atsushi caught the ball as it rebound off the table, staring at argent, unimpressed.
âThe fuck are you doing, kid? You already wasted?â He chuckled. âCatch.â
He shot it at him, the ball bouncing off the guyâs nose and smacking into a cup, causing it to tip over and drop a slip of paper that said 2F.
The old house creaked strangely around them, but it escaped Atsushi's notice.
sJSaUWyq1d101d10 1d10¡1d10
|
|
|
Kazuki
•
You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
|
Post by Kazuki on Sept 6, 2023 2:46:25 GMT 9
#s://c~l3n~co/i/mPSWLK~png With the trainers having so little fashion sense, Sprigatito has no choice but to take matters into his own paws. He hops down from his little podium, trundling over to Kitten to make his deliberations (chew on a pancake-shaped collar charm). <This doesn't taste like pancakes at all...>
Kazuki rolls his eyes at the question. âWhy the hell would I? Iââ he pauses for just a moment as Veraiâs hands brush his waist ââIâve been overseas for years.â And he adds, scoffing, âAnd I was never taught.â
He keeps his arms raised as the obi is tied around him, eyes half-lidded with boredom but watching how the belt is formed. Itâs knotted on the front, so he might be able to mimic it later on. Maybe.
âThe big bow?â Kazuki says, amused. âIâm guessing she was picky about that?â He could imagine a little girl demanding it, and Verai, the most obliging father in the world, practicing the knot over and over until it was perfect.
He inspects himself in the mirror and whistles. âNot what I was expecting, but itâs better than a bath robe.â
|
|
|
Kazuki
•
You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
|
Post by Kazuki on Sept 6, 2023 2:29:29 GMT 9
A claw latched onto his arm, nails biting into ink â a welcome pain. Kazuki did not flinch, the suddenness of Veraiâs retaliation and the hiss of his voice met only with the slight narrow of his eyes. Given his full attention, as always.
He listened as Verai defended himself; explained himself with the most peculiar justification. Who did not want to ask something of their partner? To make demands. Itâs how Kazuki understood the people he was with. There was always something: his looks, his fame, his wealth â his bed. And he never faulted them for it, because he made his demands as well.
Give and take. Push and pull. Pull until it snaps.
He was still hovering over him, straddling Verai as he lay on the grass, baring his heart â offering it gently, as if expecting little, despite how blatantly and crudely Kazuki hoards him.
A slow exhale. His shoulders fell. His hand found purchase around the shackle on his forearm, pulling it, pressing it back down with its twin. He remembered he wasnât supposed to touch him. He couldnât even follow his own rules.
âFine. You want to try me?â He grinned. âThen try me.â
This could be an incredibly stupid decision. Itâs definitely rash. It could mean nothing, or it could be another brutal leap of faith. But he was wanted, and he wanted in turn.
âIf you wonât tell me what to do, Iâll have to figure it out as I go.â One hand carded through Veraiâs hair slowly, pulling it from his face. Cradling his cheek, a thumb on his jaw; Kazuki leaning down as he spoke, his words brushing Veraiâs lips. âAnd if I fuck up, you better clock the shit out of me.â
The sky above was clouded, but without the rumble of a storm, there was no need to rush. He kissed him slowly, gratefully. Insatiably.
|
|
|
Kazuki
•
You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
|
Post by Kazuki on Sept 5, 2023 11:46:31 GMT 9
#s://cdn~discordapp~com/attachments/847006452118978590/1147842896519757855/200x200_moltres~png Okay so, he may not know enough about Moltres to play a convincing character, but to be fair, it worked on a lot of people! Children, mostly, but most folks who werenât raid participants or UNOVR aficionados were quite content to buy the Mickey Moltres spiel.
This was unfortunately not one of those cases.
The stranger â fuck, what was the name of this NPC again, Cyrus? Cybil? Sigma? â simply snapped his journal shut and shoved his face into Moltresâ beak, practically smacking into the flimsy mesh protecting Atsushiâs dignity.
Which still shouldnât matter, he could still play it off, but thenâ
âKazzie?â
Atsushiâs stomach dropped. He was known as Kazuki only to Ren, who had come up with it to rib him, and to the people in the game, where he used it as an alias.
This bastard recognized him. Could see him, despite the costume, the ridiculous voice â all of it. As if he could see right through.
Thereâs a zip before he pulled away the mesh. His hands shot out, grabbing the stranger by the collar of his stupid steampunk science jacket, yanking him until heâs forced to meet furious green eyes.
âWho the fuck are you?â he demanded. âAre you working for someone? Who sent you?!â
Meanwhile, a kid with a lollipop stopped nearby, blinking at the sight of the Moltres mascot. There was a man in its beak, only the lower half of his body visible. The kid tugged her motherâs hand. âMommy, Moltres is eating Cygnus.â
âYes, yes, darling, let mommy finish this call firstââ
|
|
|
Kazuki
•
You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
|
Post by Kazuki on Sept 5, 2023 11:02:16 GMT 9
#s://cdn~discordapp~com/attachments/847006452118978590/1147822551632990318/200x200_civilian2~png His moment of respite is shattered â not at once, but chipped at with every syllable of a distant voice. A voice that draws closer with every muffled step.
Donât go down, he thinks. The voice follows him down.
The muscles in his thighs tighten â not to pull him up, but to lock him down. He is going nowhere.
Atsushi curses under his breath, curling in on himself. Sweat pattering on Moltresâ head. Without much else he can do, all thatâs left is to listen.
And boy, is there a lot to hear.
There is a woman at the top of the staircase. Sheâs dressed quite classy â the cosplay is dead-on for C.L.A.Wâs character, made of a prettier penny than what most of the amateurs at the photo op are capable of scrounging up. Her hair is a little too strawberry for a blonde, but he would have bought it. He really would have.
But the costume isnât what Atsushi is paying attention to. Itâs her face. The look in her eyes â cold as a shut door. Atsushi wants to laugh in sheer relief. She doesnât recognize him.
Of course she wouldnât. This is a convention whose demographic skews towards children and fanatics. The only fighting thatâs popular here are ones that involve an HUD.
His phone pings him, and a quick check confirms it. The way she says his name, botching its pronunciation, also confirms it. âTuesday,â he says, his voice a deep rumble that would be familiar to no one but the man in the phone. She asks him how much he's heard and he answers, âNot much.â Which is a bold-faced lie.
He sighs, wiping his face with his hand, his hair matted on his skin. Itâs a relief that she doesnât know who he is, but thereâs still the issue of her having seen his face â the tattoos on his arms. âIf youâre going to bother me, do you mind putting away the phone? Iâve had a shit day and Iâm sick of seeing those things.â
He eyes the phone pressed to her ear. âSeems like an important call.â
Daring her to bullshit, just not in the way sheâs calculating to do right then.
|
|
|
Kazuki
•
You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
|
Post by Kazuki on Sept 4, 2023 21:36:17 GMT 9
#s://cdn~discordapp~com/attachments/847006452118978590/1147822551632990318/200x200_civilian2~png Where is he?
Noise assails him from every direction. People crowding, lines pulling him about like a tidal wave. He should be checking for faces. Or asking directions. The last thing he recalls doing is half-lucidly accepting a SEER stamp from a hawker.
He takes a step and nearly bites his tongue as pain pulses up his leg.
Shit. Shit, shit, shit, heâs been walking that long? He looks around, realizing thereâs a lot of smells, a lot of food. Concessions lined up, bustling beside the thrumming walls of the main halls. This stupid fucking costume â he wonât be able to sit down in a chair with it, and he still canât take it off. There are phones everywhere.
No escalators, but he does see double doors; doors he can actually squeeze into. Heedless of the giant EMPLOYEES ONLY on top of them, he hobbles his way through.
It leads to more hallways. A stairwell. He recognizes the backstage; probably used by maintenance and performers, but he doesnât see any staff around. Itâll do.
He wants to sit by the stairwell, but the pain relegates him to a corner, beside a wall of posters. He groans as he sits down, back to the wall, and moves to pull off the giant foam head.
His fingers twitch around the foam head, something in his chest twisting. He tears it off and practically gasps for air. Itâs stagnant and cold in the stairwell, and itâs like standing in a spring meadow.
He takes in lungfuls, trying to calm down as he rests the foam head in his lap. Sweat dribbles down the side of his head; heâs practically drenched, the fans inside the costume having done very little for his comfort. He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, the upper half of his body free: half man, half Moltres.
âHow do I get into this shit,â he mumbles, folding his arms over the foam head as he rests his back against the wall, waiting for the pain to subside; for him to be able to stand again.
|
|
|
Kazuki
•
You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
|
Post by Kazuki on Sept 4, 2023 21:33:22 GMT 9
#s://cdn~discordapp~com/attachments/847006452118978590/1147842896519757855/200x200_moltres~png This is it. Decades of training, a lifetime trawling across the globe, and countless enemies felled by his own hands â and at the prime age of thirty-six, the renowned fighter, Himura Atsushi, would die.
To children.
âI HAVE DEFEATED MOLTRES!â A tiny voice screeches â a little brat so small he can stand on top of the Moltres costumeâs belly and not cave it. He has his fists to the sky, as if having conquered Everest.
Atsushi growls, trying to move his arms. âStop that â get off!â The Mickey Mouse voice had been abandoned once the horde managed to topple him. Children laugh and giggle, tugging, yanking, punching and poking whatever they can reach, deflecting his thrashing like a pack of hyenas feasting on fresh gazelle.
Itâs made Atsushi realize how expensive this costume must be â definitely funded by the event. Moltres made with the best foam and polycotton money can buy. But the durability means jack shit if he ends up torn to pieces, and going through all this trouble would also mean jack shit because heâd end up in the photos the nearby parents, gawkers, and cosplayers are shooting. Itâs like the paparazzi, but far, far worse.
Why the hell is no one helping him? He can see through the mesh in the costumeâs beak that thereâs a plethora of cosplayers at this Photo Op â right next to the fucking First Aid booth. âHello?! Can a bird get a hand over here!â
|
|
|
Kazuki
•
You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
|
Post by Kazuki on Sept 3, 2023 21:13:51 GMT 9
#s://cdn~discordapp~com/attachments/847006452118978590/1147822979338752051/200x200_obscured2~png Oh. Oh ho, this fucker. Of all the days he could have chosen to be a stuck up bitch, it really had to be today.
âAnd Iâd rather not see you walking around with a massive stick up your ass,â Atsushi drawled, âbut you enjoy being full of yourself, donât you?â
In the future, the audacity of this bitch. As if Atsushi would ever deign to see him again. But, to be fair â looking at him a bit closer, he had to admit, he was pretty easy on the eyes. Clearly much older by the tied white hair, but there was something about him that was drawing Atsushi in â making him itch for a fight.
At the UNOVR kiosk, Ren was bouncing on their feet, hitting ACCEPT on the AVIATOR stamp. âThis is so cool. Theyâre already giving out con stuff at the airport!â They were chatting animatedly, delighted to find the best person ever so soon. But the attention was turned back to the baggage claim, at which point they notice Atsushi back on his bullshit, crowding a stranger.
âUhhh... Bri, is âChichiâ the old man in the ponytail?â They asked, praying hard that it wouldnât be, because they just got here, come ON, man!
|
|
|
Kazuki
•
You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
|
Post by Kazuki on Sept 3, 2023 20:13:56 GMT 9
#s://cdn~discordapp~com/attachments/847006452118978590/1147842896519757855/200x200_moltres~png Atsushi was starting to understand why the last guy in this costume had something of a mental breakdownâ
It was now far more than 10 minutes. He had not seen nor heard any sign of Ren, and could not walk a yard without someone snapping his photo or tackling him. Damn this huggable costume!
It was only when he found some time to himself that he remembered he had a phone. The only upside to this humiliating costume was the sheer space inside it; he pulled in his arms and patted down his pockets, pulling out his phoneâ
âand promptly dropped it as a man in a moustache suddenly manifested and began interviewing him.
âShiâuh, I meanâIâŚâ he squinted through the mesh. Was this guy dressed as the instructor from the flight camp? Another employee, or one of those goddamn cosplayers? âThe⌠the power of friendship!â Heâd been doing the Mickey Mouse Moltres voice around so many kids and guests that it was beginning to crack. âI manage by the powerrr of friendshiiip.â He flapped his big wings, wishing fervently for the meddlesome old man to either turn blind or keel over so he can grab his phone from the bottom of his bird foot.
|
|
|
Kazuki
•
You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
|
Post by Kazuki on Sept 3, 2023 19:34:00 GMT 9
#s://cdn~discordapp~com/attachments/847006452118978590/1147842896519757855/200x200_moltres~png If anyone were to ask Atsushi how his return to America was going, he would not know where the fuck to start.
No one â not Ren, not his manager, and certainly not the man himself â could have predicted heâd be spending his first day back waddling around UNOVRCon in a massive Moltres mascot costume. He had never worn something like this, and he didnât understand how anyone could. But regardless of how suffocating and itchy it was, there was no going back; he was in too deep. He was a man on a mission.
Atsushi grimaced. He shouldâve known better than to trust Ren with packing. Then again, it wasnât Renâs fault that he couldnât wait the fifteen minutes it would take them to scrounge up a replacement. It wasnât anyoneâs fault that an emergency had occurredâexcept him.
The bastard from the airport, he was here. Atsushi hadnât been able to catch it in the chaos of their encounter, but a second look erased all doubt: the stranger bore an uncanny resemblance to Verai, down to the white hair and look of mild distaste with the world. All that was missing was the cat ears and fantasy armor, but Atsushi would know more than anyone.
Of course he had no choice but to follow â to make sure. It wasnât stalking, it was an investigation.
He was slowly nudging his way closer to peep on the guyâs callâWho the hell is âmy loveâ? You have got to be fucking kidding meâwhen someone crashed into him, nearly sending him rolling on his big birdy belly.
âWatch where youâreââ he choked, recognizing the girl to be his strangerâs companion. The mesh over Moltresâ giant beak obscured his face, but he still panicked, realizing he had to get in character. ââggggooing!â The voice pitched a hundred times higher, Mickey Mouse-like. âYoung trainer! You should always be vigilant in the heat of battle! Iâm Moltres! KA-KAW!â
Kill him.
|
|
|
Kazuki
•
You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
|
Post by Kazuki on Sept 3, 2023 13:16:58 GMT 9
#s://cdn~discordapp~com/attachments/847006452118978590/1147822979338752051/200x200_obscured2~png âI hate this shit.â
Atsushi was not in the mood for this. Even after half a year of recovery and too many surgeries, he was still not fully healed â free of cast and crutches, but his mobility remained limited, far from the state before the incident. It meant constantly adjusting his posture to hide his limp. It meant finding handholds after standing for too long. It meant not kicking the shit out of the baggage carousel.
âOh calm your tattooed tits,â his roommate and the source of all his current problems stood by, flapping a gloved hand dismissively. Ren wasnât wearing their usual biker helmet, and the sight of their strange dye job only irked him further. âYouâve been flying around for years. A 13-hour flight is nothing! Now, go fetch our bags, I think I just saw a UNOVR kiosk and I gotta check that shit out before we leave.â
They slapped his shoulder, grinning. âOh, and first class means our bags got loaded on first soâprobably already missed them! Just be patient.â Because he is clearly a paragon of virtue. They didnât let him get another word in, all but sprinting to the kiosk.
Atsushi resisted the urge to sand his molars, heading to the carousel and clipping some guyâs shoulder. In a bare-minimum effort to hide from the public, he had worn a jacket to cover his tattoos, a mask for his face, and a cap to obscure the bedhead and eyes.
Overall, he looked like a douchebag as he muscled his way to the front of the line. The guy he bumped into side-eyed him, and he scowled, a scrunch above his mask as he met him with a glare of his own.
âThe fuck are you looking at?â Maybe it was the jet lag and too many painkillers, but there was something familiar about him. Atsushi squinted, looking even more pissed off as he tried to figure it out.
|
|
|
Kazuki
•
You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
|
Post by Kazuki on Sept 3, 2023 12:31:49 GMT 9
The words were small. He watched Veraiâs mouth wrap around them, his eyes dilating; the abyss swallowing Verai whole.
âWhatever that entails?â he hummed, leaning down, his breath brushing Veraiâs lips; endlessly, infuriatingly pleased. There was a boundary, but Verai kept a loose leash, and Kazuki had always delighted in this: testing how far he can pull a string until it snaps. Pushing him down, cornering him: finding how much he can get away with, and being surprised by the extent.
And right now, Kazuki could break him. If he were to act on that answer, he probably would. There had never been a middle road when it came to Kazuki; the weight of his devotion was always in extremes â too little or too much, driving away Ada and many others.
Verai â whose story stuck in the back of his mind; whose attachment to him was tenuous; who knew little of him, but said yes anyways â would be no different. The man was strong only in battle and integrity.
His words were correct, and everything else was wrong.
âYou have no idea what that entails. Donât make promises you donât understand,â Kazuki hissed, gently butting his forehead against Veraiâs; endeared, frustrated.
Annoyed, as he pulled back. Kazuki did not enjoy depriving himself. âIâm sick of playing guessing games, Ver. If you donât want anything to change, then fine. If you want us to get together, then fine. But I canât know unless you tell me.â
|
|
|
Kazuki
•
You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
|
Post by Kazuki on Sept 3, 2023 12:29:39 GMT 9
He shouldnât be surprised that Verai forgave him, but it still astounds him â the gentleness of it all. The kindness extended to a stranger with no hesitance, ulterior motive, or backhand. And Verai, while kind to a fault, is no idiot; he chooses this having weighed the cost.
It is an art that Kazuki has yet to grasp; one that, at best, he can behold. Or sneer at.
âI didnât want you to understand. I was trying toâtrying not to get you involved. That was the point.â His hand curled into the grass around him. The blades were dry, and as he pressed, they crumbled in his grasp. It didnât surprise him anymore: things being ruined by his touch. âEverything about this Parasite has been because of my own dumbass decisions. If Iâm getting rid of it, Iâll do it myself.â If. What an interesting, novel little word. When had he switched from despising this condition to brandishing it?
A puff of breath came from his nose, the edge of his mouth twitching at Veraiâs admittance. âFriends, huh? Donât think Iâve ever agreed to that.â He didnât sound displeased, however.
And perhaps he could have left it at that. Let the matter lay to rest, having his kind-of answer, his undeserved forgiveness, and for once, give Verai a well-earned break.
But instead he bit back a groan, pulling himself off the ground. A shuffle as he moved to cover the sun from view.
âIâve asked you this before, but you didnât answer me then either. Said you had to go.â
Hands pressed into the dirt on either side of Veraiâs head, killing the flowers there, steering clear of his skin. âMaybe I wasnât clear enough. Let me try again.â
Kazuki curled over Verai, his hair a familiar cage, cutting the man off from the rest of the world; smothering the scent of fresh air and flowers in favor of blood, sweat, and lingering storms. Green eyes stared down to the peace over his pale features, fervently searching for something.
âWhat do you want from me, Ver?â he asked quietly.
|
|
|
Kazuki
•
You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
|
Post by Kazuki on Sept 3, 2023 12:27:37 GMT 9
âI wasnât aware kissing gave bonuses.â Kazuki laughed. âYou can be such a little shit sometimes.â Not unwelcome; rather, delightfully surprising when it happens. Verai played a convincing straight man. Play being the key word.
Kazuki does get his answer, though it wasnât exactly â satisfactory. A little half-baked, but he could feel it truthful. He could remember the taste of that impulse.
âI revoked my pledge to kill god for it, what do you think?â Which is not something he ever expected to say, but here it is. He had done it earnestly, at Veraiâs behest, with manful hesitance. And in the aftermath, he dredges no regret.
Waffle kicked his fingers, apparently sick of the belly tickles. Still asleep, the kitten rolled over, caught by Kazukiâs palm before being set down on the grass by Mudsdaleâs hooves, the horse curling around him to sleep.
âYou donât sound like you regret it either, even after all the shit I said.â All the shit heâs done. Kazukiâs mouth twisted. âI shouldnât have brought up your kid. It wonât happen again.â In this game he forged between them, there are no rules, but certain blows were unacceptable. Shameful. He had breached that boundary line.
|
|
|