songerein | what it all comes down to [closed]

Entry tags:

what it all comes down to [closed]

Who: Kazuki Kurusu (

papartner) & Rei Suwa (

dadinside)
Which: Closed log
Where: Wherever a cat goes, Reverein
What: Tackling dream board quest 1005!
Warnings: Shouldn't be, will be edited if needed!

[ It's been a busy few weeks. Fortunately, busy is kind of the way Kazuki likes it. After being brought here, dream or not, he's been getting more than a little restless. Walks around town only do so much, and they don't need money, so... so what is he supposed to do? He knows he should try to get a job or something, but working for someone in a normal business is not exactly his style...

So the dream board it is! Most of the time, the jobs were pretty straightforward, and would get him a little of this and that to barter, or something he could use himself, or whatever. But this month he didn't wanna work on anything alone. So getting Rei's buy-in would be important. Which made the decision of which job to take pretty simple, actually...

Well, "simple" is a relative term. Kazuki did have to half-drag him out of the treehouse, but "we're going out looking for someone's cat" had made him a little more amenable to the idea. That said, there might be a bit more to it. After talking to the lady, she said something about a ghost, which did make the hairs on his neck stand up... but y'know, this is for a good cause...

Unfortunately this is how they find themselves in the edge of town after tracking the cat down to this location. It's an old house of some kind, though outside is a weird hedge maze, already decorated for Halloween (not even the kind of Halloween Kazuki likes...) ]

Sure hope this lady makes this worth our while once we get this cat back. This place is huge.

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[It occurs to him that Kazuki really needs to properly arm himself somehow. While Rei only bothered learning about dreamotion since there are no bullets here for his gun, it was mostly to keep Kazuki safe. Realistically, he can't always do that and sometimes could use the backup.

Now, though, it's probably not necessary. Except it might've helped to calm his partner's nerves a little.]

Stay behind me.

[He says before quietly making his way towards the door. Maybe they can sneak up on whatever made the noise.

Assuming it's not a ghost.]

[ Kazuki knows he needs to be properly armed. He's been keeping that in mind but he still hasn't quite figured out the whole... using magic thing. Or in Rei's case, the whole using magic to make bullets to shoot with. It's still something he hasn't wrapped his brain around, give the guy a break. But it's true that normal bullets and knives aren't going to do shit against anything - doesn't mean he doesn't have them tucked away somewhere.

He is resisting the urge to grab his pistol for some kind of reassurance. Hell, he's trying to resist the urge to grab onto Rei for some kind of reassurance, staying behind him as best he can but only keeping the minimum distance between them to be respectable. That said, his hand is half outstretched between them. ]

Yeah, yeah.

[ half mumbled, Kazuki closing the door behind them carefully and continuing to glance around them as they walk. He is twitching every time he thinks he sees something moving. ]

[No idea what lies in the room next door, only that it's several feet away and towards the back of the old house. Both the kitchen and dining area had been huge, so whatever room is back here appears to be small.

Daylight is quickly running out and the house isn't going to remain lit for much longer, so they'll have to do something about a source of light at some point...

Quietly walking up to the door, Rei takes position on one side of the door, by the handle, leaving Kazuki on the other side. He can hear the faint sound of running water...

A bathroom, then?

But no other noise beyond that.

Rei looks at Kazuki and nods, an indication that he should prepare himself because he's about to open the door, his gun at the ready.]

[ he doesn't know if water is a good sign. Like, don't ghosts travel back in water? But you also put water around to keep away evil spirits or something right? Fuck, like he knows. You don't get these lessons when you grow up like he did - besides, GHOSTS AREN'T REAL. But the uncertainty only makes him more anxious.

Hands fall to his sides, though they curl into fists. Totally not fear, just for ghost punching. Kazuki nods back at Rei, steeling himself for the door to move. ]

[Ready? Ready.

After a second longer, Rei swiftly kicks open the door, taking aim at whatever is inside--

Except the only thing that greets them is an empty bathroom completely covered in a viscous red liquid.

The running water is not even water at all, as it's the same red substance pouring out of the sink, which is filled and now spilling over onto the blood-soaked tile. Inside the tub are red splatters, and on the walls there's more of the same, with places where the blood is dripping down. Though congealed in some spots, it is obviously fresh.

...On the mirror is a bloody message that reads:

YOU'RE NEXT

Once again there's no visible reaction from Rei, his eyes scanning the small bathroom as he takes a step inside.]

Not completely abandoned, I guess.

[ Meanwhile, behind Rei, there's this high pitched whine coming from somewhere (someone) and something (someone) suddenly grabs the back of Rei's coat. The whine doesn't stop, Kazuki filled with an impenetrable sense of doom at the sight of this much blood, and the ominous message on the mirror. ]

You'd have to be crazy to live here!

[ Dealing with crime scenes (theirs) is one thing, they have never left anything like this. Maybe if he wasn't already on edge, he wouldn't be having such a reaction, but... ]

And what do they mean, "you're next?!"

[ He would bury his face against Rei's back but he's too paranoid that something might sneak up behind them and-- ]

[Hmm. Something seems... weird. Also he's totally aware of Kazuki clinging to him.]

Probably that we're next--

[Rei begins to state the obvious just as the rickety air vent above them falls from the ceiling, causing Rei to aim his gun upward as it lands on the floor with a loud clatter.

Then a pile of bones fall from the open space and land directly behind Kazuki.]

[ the high pitched whine turns into a high pitched screech at the sudden clattering of the air vent on the floor, and then the bones - Kazuki's fear factor has officially hit its limit. The room is coming for them and he can't handle it. He practically leaps at Rei, flinging his arms around his partner's body. Tears of fright are in the corners of his eyes and that may not be the only thing that's wet.

The wordless screech turns into him whining Rei's name, followed by: ]

We're gonna die, we're gonna die, we're gonna die!!

[Though he isn't scared, his adrenaline is pumping, and he lowers his gun when he sees that it's only bones.

Kazuki, on the other hand, is fully clinging to him and scared enough for the both of them. He's also tightly wrapped his arms around his waist and is squeezing with such ferocity that Rei might faint.]

Calm down...

[Rei grinds out between grunts, making no real movement to pry his trembling partner from his body.

Now, he's seen his fair share of horrors as an assassin. He's been on missions with others that have done unsavoury jobs he wouldn't. He knows what bones look like. And the ones on the floor? They don't look right...]

They're plastic.

[Quite possibly the most mystifying of all is how a guy like Kazuki gets this wound up when he's seen death for most his life. Then again... this is Kazuki.]

[ real or not, Kazuki is squeezing the hell out of Rei's middle, his face pressed against his stomach as he clings for what he thinks might be dear life. Ignore that there's this blood on his pants now, Kazuki doesn't care. It's not about the bones, it's about being frightened and surprised by them - but he's in no position, physical or mental, to explain that to Rei right now. ]

But what if they weren't?! What if it's a trap so that the ghost'll murder us himself?!

[ sob sob sob!! ]

[Bet Miri wouldn't even be clinging to him like this. He just lets the man be for a moment until he can properly collect himself.

For now he simply addresses the whimpering blond's concern.]

No one's dead.

A ghost is dead, Rei!!

[ and Kazuki is now definitely convinced there's one here. ]

It's like you said, no one is here. Except that!! Who else would drop the fan and the bones and paint the room red with blood--!!

[Time for some hard truths. Rei stares down at the other man and his apparent lack of knowledge about ghosts.]

Ghosts can't die, they're already dead. And this isn't blood...

[This didn't look right to him the second he walked in. He knows blood. And this? It's pretty damn convincing, but it's not blood. Plus the air smells sickly sweet...

That's when he does something that might disturb Kazuki, and dips his finger into the sink before bringing the "blood" to his lips.

...

Just as he thought.]

Tastes like strawberry.

[ he's about the retort something about a ghost having been a living person at one point but then Rei does a blood taste test and that thought goes out the window. ]

The hell are you doing?!

[ for a brief moment, the feeling of fear is replaced with Kazuki feeling horrified instead. Even after it "tastes like strawberry!" ]

[He's doing a taste test, what's it look like, man?

Rei brushes off Kazuki's concern and gives the equivalent of a verbal shrug.]

It's pretty good.

[ first skeletons, then ghosts, now his partner's a vampire? He's got his face buried back against Rei's chest, and he gives it a shake. Get it together, Kazuki. Get it the hell together. He takes a deep breath, finally loosening his arms enough so he can look up at Rei from on his knees. he's not brave enough yet to let go. ]

So... it's not blood. Just... strawberries?

[ his eyes flick toward the sink. Okay blood or not... that sink is gross. ]

[It's not like Rei goes around eating random crap in rundown houses. He had his suspicions and could both smell and see that it was something sweet and sticky.]

Like some kind of strawberry sauce.

[So is someone just messing with them...? Is the cat even here?]

That's a lot of strawberry sauce.

[ Seriously. But Kazuki is calmer now, even if... if there still might be a ghost. He then realizes he's on his knees in front of Rei clinging desperately to his midsection, and lets go, shuffling backwards on his knees. ]

First, sorry. Second, don't eat random shit off of weird surfaces, dude!

[Ah, freedom from the awkwardly tight embrace. It's not the first time Kazuki's grabbed him, so he doesn't get the apology. Doesn't really matter. He can breathe a little better and be ready for anything else that might appear now.

Fake or not.]

Only way to figure it out.

[He was doing you a favour, dude. You're welcome???]

[ sigh! ]

Just don't do it around Miri, I guess. She might get a weird idea that it's okay.

[ Honestly it's one thing to drag Rei around and something a little different to cling to him like a little baby. Rei probably won't hold it against him though. At least, not forever.

Kazuki finally stands, still a little hesitant, and he glances at the bathroom door. he doesn't wanna stay here, but he's not sure he wants to go out, either. ]

Where next? Upstairs?

[Calm down, man. It's not like this is a habit. Anyway, probably time to move on.]

Cats do like heights.

[He says in agreement. The living room across from them is open and nothing looks out of the ordinary. Rei is the first to move, stepping out of the bathroom...

And just as he does, the lights begin to flicker like crazy. Didn't look like there had even been electricity running through this place, with the weird crystals most places use, but the lights sure seem to be getting power from somewhere.

Huh.]

Is this what you saw earlier?

I think it looked something like this.

[ there's an edge to his voice at the sudden lighting in the room they'd just left... Kazuki still not feeling really great about this anymore. Can this freaking ghost chill already? He reaches out to grab on to Rei's coat again. ]

The window upstairs was a little warped so I'm not totally sure, but... it makes the most sense.

[ speaking of upstairs, Kazuki glances at the stairwell nearby, the shadows from the flickering lights make it less and less appealing to climb. ]

[Warped or not, it's clear this house isn't normal. Or haunted.

... By strawberry sauce loving ghosts.

At the very least that makes the place less threatening. And so Rei begins his ascent up the stairs, with Kazuki in tow. The creak of each step echoing loudly in the old, wooden house. And as Rei draws closer to the top, a faint meow can be heard coming from the right. There's a room nearby the top of the stairs with the door slightly ajar, but he can see there's no light whatsoever in it.]

That room.

[ Kazuki's breath catches in a gasp when he hears the sound of that meow and he gets a glimmer of hope that maybe, oh maybe, this will be over soon. This was a terrible mistake, he thinks, as his hands still tighten on Rei's coat. ]

Let's hurry up and get this over with.

[ is he quieter than he was before? Doesn't want to scare the cat, maybe? Or maybe it's that he doesn't want to anger the ghost that totally exists. ]

Please... c'mon, kitty.

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what it all comes down to [closed]

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