awashlogs | Event Nine.

Entry tags:

Event Nine.

Thus, on Life’s gloomy sea,
Heareth the marinere
Voices sweet, from far and near,
Ever singing in his ear,
“Here is rest and peace for thee!”

t's a dark night, and the sounds of feet in the darkness are further dampened and hidden by even more magic, as they are lured away by the soft sounds of dreams that are too good to be true, leaving the Town much, much emptier than when it began.

On one side, an island, and a ticking clock to a gruesome death.

On the other, the slow realization that those bonds everyone has been forging might mean much, much more than they first thought.

Welcome to Awash's ninth event log, everyone! Further information on this event can be found here at the OOC post.

You are welcome to start your own posts or logs for this event as well. If there are any questions, please ask them here. Please be sure to very clearly mark where your characters are in your prompts, so people know which they can tag depending on which group they are in. Thank you!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Ah— no.

[Guren looks visibly surprised by that question. It seems so out of nowhere, somehow? No one else had been concerned about the method of a drug, so long as they got it. But he understands the confusion, since he takes his own drugs with a syringe.

This, though... He reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out a pack. Specifically, it's vials.]

You drink them. They taste a little like the sort of ash you get from tasting uncolored food, so it's not pleasant, but it's quick.

[Ah. So maybe only Guren's drugs need a syringe? Akira visibly relaxes.

He can drink nasty gloop all day. That's not what he's concerned about.]

...Then if you don't mind... can I try it?

[Anything to keep what happened from happening again.]

I don't mind it, but I'm going to go over the rules again.

[He says this as he passes the pack of three vials over for Akira to take. This one is the one for psychic resistance.]

They have side effects, and you shouldn't, under any circumstances, take more than one within a 24 hour period. It'll grant you an hour of resistance to mental attacks, but it gives you a sickening migraine for about three hours afterwards. Light is painful, you'll probably want to puke.

But you'll be safe, if you use it right.

[ooc: Of course, it's a little more complex than "never take two" so here for more info if you ever end up using it! I called them a pill once on accident but they're vials of liquid and I am a fool.]

[He looks at the vials in his hands, nodding at the instructions. He'll be sure to follow them; despite the cavalier attitude Takemi took with his body back home, he knows he has to be careful when he's taking something like this. And it sounds like the side effects are pretty severe... He'll have to be careful.

But it's better than being kidnapped again, or worse.

He lets out a slow breath, and carefully pockets the vials.]

Thanks.

If I can make it any easier to take, I'll let you know. Until then... this is the best I can do.

[He's not sure it's worth thanks, since he's hard on himself over everything, but he's glad to help, and he gives Akira a nod for it before standing again. Even still, he doesn't look like he's just going to take off, unless Akira seems like he's finished.]

For now, don't worry so much about the mistakes. Eat some food and meet up with the people you care about. Don't isolate yourself too much.

Mm. [He nods. He does feel a little better now. He'll go meet with his friends later, and try to put on a smile and a brave face. It'll be a little easier than before, he's pretty sure.

And that's really what he's thinking Guren for, more than the vials.]

...You really do think of us as family, don't you?

What kind of question is that?

[He sounds a little annoyed, but it's the sort of annoyance that always comes with an embarrassed glance to the side. He's huffy, but it's only because he has to say it aloud again, to clarify.]

Of course I do. I don't joke around with words like that. Family is important. It's a reason to keep living, even if the whole world is horrible and you don't want to take another step. We take care of each other. That's what it is.

[Akira can't help but smile. It's cute when Guren gets like this; he really does remind him of Sojiro.]

Yeah...

[He looks down at his hands, thinking, before he speaks again.]

Sorry I dismissed it before. [Guren made a mistake, but he isn't a bad person. Akira knows that. Even if it was hard to take, still hard to take, he finds that deep down he can't totally put it all on Guren. Not when he knows that his heart is good, inside.]

You're... part of my family, too.

[Guren is quiet at that, looking at Akira as his embarrassment quickly turns to subtle surprise. It's so completely different from what he was hearing for four hours straight in that forest just days ago, when he was panicked and searching for Akira, only to be taunted by his voice by how worthless he is, how he wouldn't be able to find them, or save them, or do anything.

He doesn't want to tell him about any of that, since it would only spread bad feelings, one way or another. Friends and family care about each other. They don't want to hear that someone else suffered in any way, especially if they were somehow being used for it.

He's just thinking that it's nice to hear something like that again, even if he's not sure he deserves it. He faces him, reaching out to place a hand on Akira's head... and then ruffle his hair.]

Thanks.

[Don't make his hair even more of a rat's nest!

Akira makes a token effort to wave his hands away, but it's clear there's no real intent to it. He honestly doesn't mind. It's kinda nice.

At least as long as they're here, it's good that they can rely on each other. What happened in Guren's world... that's for him to sort out. For now, isn't it okay for them to feel content like this? He thinks so.]

You don't have to thank me for that.

Fine, then I take it back.

[Joking with a lot more ease, he satisfies himself with one extra aggressive ruffle at those waving hands, and then pulls his hand back with a smirk. It's clear that he's more relaxed from this alone. He thinks it's clear why he said thanks. He doesn't deserve forgiveness, and he knows that. He's sure Akira hasn't really forgiven him, either.

But considering him family, despite all of that... that's more than he could ask for.]

Listen. I know Akechi was worried about you, but he's also the type to lash out. I wouldn't be surprised if he shoved a lot of blame on you for all of this. Getting into trouble, needing help...

It's not your fault.

[That's all he wanted to say!! If Akira was this bothered at first, he wonders if maybe he's not hanging around enough people who assure him otherwise.]

But you're more prepared now, so I hope that helps you feel more secure.

[He almost wants to laugh at that. Guren has Akechi pegged, maybe better than he realizes. Lashing out at Akira for his own emotions is Akechi's specialty.]

Yeah. It helps.

[There's a little bit of a shrug. He's still not sure it's entirely not his fault, but he appreciates the assurance, anyway.]

Back home... a doctor friend of mine would give me drugs like this, too. [And it's probably significantly more shady in that context, since she doesn't know the details of the monsters... but he trusts Takemi, so it's fine.] It's good to be prepared for any situation. [Makes him feel more in control.]

...Yeah. I'm not a fan of risky drugs like these, but sometimes, we don't have any other choice, if we want to survive.

[That's what he thinks. And so, here he is.]

I'm still working on developing more. If you have something in particular you want help with, you can let me know. I'll do what I can.

Mm. I will.

[He can't think of anything he needs right now, though. And Guren has already done enough for him today, anyway.]

You should go back. You probably have other people to check on.

[He picks up the food he's left sitting aside. He's going to eat, see!]

Yeah.

[With a quiet wave, he steps off the way he'd been going to the first time.]

See ya.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Event Nine.

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