inretribution | (no subject)

I have the pathogen just like a bunch of other people. I'm not gonna feel sorry for myself about this, so you don't need to either.

[Death grew on trees around here. He didn't like seeing people die and he certainly didn't like playing a role in other people's deaths, but he looks down at his hands and thinks about the first time he bled because of the disease. He's used to seeing blood, he tells himself; water turns into blood in the Dark Hour, and there wasn't a night he got out of there uninjured. There isn't anything to fear.

It just makes him feel sick that the thought is a direct echo from the man who killed Shinjiro that October night. Life is but a stepping stone...]

Are you going to be tied to the past? If you keep looking over your shoulder at what happened, you'll screw up the next time, too.

...You say that like it's just that easy...

[The words would be accusatory if Yosuke's quivering voice didn't sound so meek and pathetic. Then, paradoxically, he laughs bitterly and shakes his head.]

...I thought I was better than this now.

[Not all that long ago, Yosuke promised Souji that he would live for the present, and live his life to the fullest. Has he broken that already?

It was stupid to come here and say all of this. He should have just given Ken the gifts he brought, asked him how he was doing, and left.]

Sorry.

[He shakes his head, and though he's always kept his posture straight and proper around Yosuke, never letting his guard down, he throws himself on his back now, arms stretches out, staring at the ceiling. The lights aren't exactly fixed so it's dark, but there's enough light from the window to count the stains in the tiles.]

You say it like you thought it would be easy, Hanamura-san. Even I...

[He sighs.] I promised my mom I'd be fine. I told Aragaki-san I'd take care of the rest. I thought I decided to move on and forward, and that was why Nemesis turned into Kala-Nemi. But I think coming here threw me back to square one -- I'm just as pathetic as you think you are.

[Yeah, Ken is right. And that just makes him feel worse about it. As bad as his problems are, everyone deals with the same difficulties in the Box, and don't other people have circumstances way worse than what Yosuke brought with him when he arrived? Ken is a good example. His mom is dead, he saw someone die trying to protect him...

But one little scrap of Ken's words strike him a little differently than the rest. "Coming here threw me back to square one." Frowning, he glances over.]

... yeah. Yeah, maybe... is that it...?

[Everyone deals with the same difficulties in the Box. But... everyone's values and strength could falter under that pressure, too.]

I mean - what you said, about being thrown back to square one by coming here. We're being...worn-out?

Of course we're being worn out. Minato-san thought we were in hell the moment he saw me. [He sighs.]

... They know things about us. You guys do it in battle too, don't you? Exploiting the enemies' weaknesses.

where'd you go?

[It's kind of surprising how long Minato took to send that text. It's October 4th. A really bad day, he thinks, but a day he doesn't want Ken to be alone on, for fear he'll disappear. A text would be good, right? He'll call later if Ken doesn't answer, but... Ken's capable, and it's not like Minato has any right to play dad here, he just wants to make sure he's going to be okay.]

[He didn't mean to piss off the boar. He really didn't. He's pretty sure he didn't actually do anything to piss off the wolves, but now he did and he's really too slow to keep outrun it. Maybe he got too close. He wasn't too good with the woods. He probably did and they're still chasing him even after he's left the woods... so they probably want to kill him. He's already gotten hit by a few claws and bites and fallen down and scraped himself up.

So he certainly doesn't have time to answer Minato's text. Sorry for the radio silence, Leader.]

[He lets about half an hour pass before he's making a phone call.]

[He can answer this time! But he's... very quiet, except for his breathing. It's very harsh, pained, and shaky like he's afraid. He's whispering, though.] M-Minato-san...

[Minato is immediately in Leader Mode again.] Where are you?

I'm-- a house. Near the woods.

[There's a noise like someone leaving a hiding place, followed by loud angry barking. And Ken adds "wolves!" to his explanation before he has to move again.]

I'm coming. [Ken how do you even get yourself into this much trouble this often? Minato is heading that way, but not hanging up the phone unless Ken does first.]

[He's pretty sure he's cursed. Ironic when he's the Hama user, really. Ken doesn't hang up, but he doesn't have any time to answer while he's running. He manages to wedge himself into somewhere the wolves' claws don't reach, and he finally says at that point that he dropped his evoker while running in the house.]

I've got mine. Just hold still and don't let them get you. [The wolves will probably be lucky you can't eat wolf meat so far as he is aware. He's going to try to scare them away with bufu before he goes to actually hurt them.]

[A bunch of them scatter, but there's still a few that stay, further in the house where Ken is. There's one trying to claw at the hole Ken clambered into, and there's Ken in the back, looking kind of bloody and everything.]

[Those ones get Ziodynes. Minato is making sure they're fully incapacitated before he goes to help Ken.]

What were you doing?

[Ken pushes himself onto his knees to crawl out of the hole. He's got claw marks on his face and arms and he has bites on his ankles.] I was getting food...

[Minato offers his hand to Ken.] I'll heal you and we'll look for your evoker.

[He takes it, apologizing about how dirty it is. It's slippery with blood.]

I think it's downstairs.

[Ken don't apologize for bleeding. It only takes Minato a few seconds to draw forth a persona that can heal him good as news.]

How do you feel?

[Ken gets to his feet, but he's a little bit pale and a little bit shaky. He's lost a lot of blood.] I'll... be okay.

[Minato frowns. He searches in his pockets. He has a little bit of food. A bag of cereal. He puts it into Ken's hands.]

Eat.

[Ken blinks stupidly at the cereal but he'll peel open the bag and eat as told.]

Thank you. I'll be okay, Leader. I promise.

Why were you in the woods alone? [Seriously. Tell him next time.]

I don't... have any big reasons why.