songerein | I Am Gonna Make It Through This Year If It Kills Me || Closed

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I Am Gonna Make It Through This Year If It Kills Me || Closed

Who: Soldier: 76, Reaper, and soon enough Kazuma Asogi
Which: Closed Log
Where: Wildlands
What: 76 has been spending more time out in the wildlands and not as easy to stumble across, of course a certain ~~edgelord~~merc who likes to keep track of the soldier has to investigate tis chance in routine. Surprisingly, he's not alone out there and the still Noctaere held Kazuma makes that known.
Warnings: Violence, canon-typical and not. Will add more as necessary.

For the moment Blue was off hunting for her own food, saddlebags kept in a pile near a log 76 was using as a bench so the noise of them wouldn't draw any attention to her. A fire crackled, well maintained and made just to help fight the chill as the weather was definitely getting colder every night that came and passed. Lit up a patch of flower across the way at the other side of the clearing, intentionally having built it far enough away once he understood they did better in cooler air.

Had been sitting there, a half full jar of glittering green and yellow liquid just within reach. Lid half on it rather than fully closed.

It was quiet, strangely so, and was enough to have the old soldier pushing himself to his feet, head tilted as he listened for- well. Some sign. There was already the feeling of not being alone, but it wasn't bringing a heat that spoke of someone more familiar with it; the one he was more familiar with out here, at least.

"Come on and show yourself already."

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It was subtle at first, and maybe it was difficult to tell with them fighting, but the area around them had been warming up for some time. A feeling of boiling rage and hate rising, as oppressive as the increasing hot air. Kazuma had just finished taking down another one of those giant deer when he heard the commotion, looking for 76.

What he discovers is the old man beaten to the ground and someone pointing a gun at him. He doesn't wait, doesn't ask, he just knew this stranger is about to cause harm to 76. Lifting the corpse of the deer in both his arms, he proceeds to toss it in Reaper's direction, force him off. The assault doesn't stop there though. Even if Reaper avoids that deer, he'll soon come face to face with a snake-like demon, twice his size, with claws coming at him with the intent slice his head clean. Under normal circumstances, he probably wouldn't go to such extremes on the first go, but this was 76, and he doesn't take too kindly of anyone trying to cause him serious harm.

There was the taste of blood in his mouth, and some of it wasn't his own, teeth chattering when suddenly nothing was in his mouth. Gasping a little for air, too much and it had that pain searing through him. Ribs finally felt enough that he all but collapsed the rest of the way, Reaper a blur and-

Stay down, huh? Not and issue.

Until he saw that deer suddenly go flying, using a shoulder to roll himself on to his side, squinting to try and clear his vision, that heat causing shadows to reflexively creep over 76's form with frost creeping over leather.

"Kazuma—?" His voice was rougher than usual, each breath a wheeze. Shit, when did he get here? Fuck.

Now heat he was a touch more sensitive to, but in the moment of wrestling 76, he hadn't put two and two together that something else might have been coming. That something had apparently shown up and was aggressive to the situation. What good time this was going to be.

He ducked and moved his body under the flying deer, twisting to face who had intercepted. Was that... a naga? He leapt backwards, pulling another shotgun, but those claws caught a shoulder and spun.

He landed on his feet, pulling both shotguns up to aim at the naga. "Well, well... look what the corruption dragged in...."

Immediately he puts himself between 76 and Reaper, teeth bare as he snarls and hisses. Who was this creepy man anyway?

There's someone here that's part of it, and he's a nosy bastard that likes to try and get under my skin. A previous conversation with 76 surfaces in his mind. A hiss as a name comes out of his mouth.

"Reaper."

Sparks start to appear in his claws. Soon his whole hands are engulfed in flames. His tail curls protectively around 76's body. He refuses to leave the old man's side with the way he was. So all he can do is stare down those shotguns, get a well aimed fireball or two if he chooses to fire them. Eitherway, he isn't going to make any moves unless Reaper tries to come closer.

Well, this was a little familiar, even as 76 pushed himself up so he could sit, an arm sort of held against his chest, hand rested against the side of his ribs. Bruised again he didn't doubt, trying to slow his breathing and keep it shallow for the sake of his chest.

Guess it was only a matter of time before Kazuma would head this way. 76 still felt disoriented and- what the hell happened?

There was a hand that set against part of that scaled tail, trying to reorient himself. Sudden anger and a want to fight, he had been fighting Reaper and then...? He was then focusing on those shotguns, even as 76 steadied himself- "That's some timing, kid." Good or bad didn't much matter.

Of course, since he knew that Reaper wasn't stupid, something he had still been digging at even if only idly, "This was bound to happen sooner or later.

"Wasn't it, Reaper?" Not Reyes at the moment. Pointedly using that, a show that he was still keeping the man's name unsaid to others. Rattled as his was. The bastard finally had his answer.

Reaper didn't have to move his head to shift his eyes from the naga - Kazuma - and 76, and both of their body language and actions spoke louder than any words. And the flames? Well, those would probably match the burns that 76 had suffered from, wouldn't they? It was likely though not yet definitive.

His index fingers tapped lightly against the side of his Hellfire shotguns as he considered the new barrage of information quickly. It appeared that they were in a brief stand off.

"Kazuma," he answered after his codename was said by the kid. "So. It's you. Such a pleasure to know where 76's chic in the armour is."

He was coming to the conclusion that the whole snake man thing was not, in reality, exactly who this guy was. If 76 was heading down the corruption path, it stood to reason that this kid was exactly the same. Knowing 76, the old bastard was the one to stand in the way of it progressing too far without sacrificing personally to prevent it.

"You two are a mess," he growled. "But at least a mess together. How quaint."

"Leave."

Kazuma could care less what Reaper thought of them. He had no interest in making conversation and prefer him to be gone. He knew Reaper had been looking for him, but even if you told Kazuma to lay low, no matter what, he couldn't blatantly ignore someone important to him getting hurt like this. Someone keeping him from going too deep.

He could feel 76 trying to move around behind him, but he couldn't risk taking his eyes off of Reaper for even a second. Although if he did, he be taken aback by how badly 76's condition has gotten.

"You've gotten your answers, Reaper. May as well fall back."

At the very least, despite his body's own protest to moving, 76 was sitting up on his knees, still trying to give his side some support even if it was more out of some reflexive habit. Could ever tell what hurt worse, the actual injury of his body working so quickly to deal with it. Probably both at his age—

Still, a large part of him was saying it because he knew just what those shotguns could do to a person. Carried a large reminder on his side after all- another was because, well. Some quiet internal voice didn't want to know how either could stand up against the other.

Normally, Reaper was one to fight it out, but tactically, there was no reason to. He had gained valuable information, but a part of him wanted to insist on staying a touch longer to find a solution to 76's deteriorating condition. They didn't know how death worked in this place after all.

His shoulder were he had been clawed and his hand where he had been bitten had tendrils of black smoke rising off of them. His hand in particular flexed, feeling the sharpness of pain before he growled a low sound in his throat.

Then he dropped his shotguns like they were meaningless to him. "Remember: if you fall or die, I will burn this place and everyone in it to the ground. Don't test me."

He then dissolved to black smoke and ghosted away into the forest proper, leaving the pair to sort themselves out. He had injuries to attend to and plenty to think about. Dreamotion energy... what a waste of time.

...What did those words mean? He would have just toss it aside, if it weren't for the threat of destroying everything. Why would he care, after he pointed a damn gun at 76? Even as Reaper disappears into shadows, Kazuma doesn't let up his guard, not until he's certain the man truly had gone. His hands remain covered in flames as he turns to tend to 76-

He unintentionally lets out a gasp at the sight of of the old man. It wasn't the injuries, it's his face, those dark vein-like webs spreading, his eyes. Those were not there the last time he saw him. A quiet whisper. "Jack..."

He could feel his body move on it's own, wanting to back away. It's not out of fear, it's because him being this close to 76 probably isn't helping the situation. He had been thorough about checking on the old man when they spend any amount of time together. How did it just spread like that? Is it because of Reaper? The old man had been that convincingly good at hiding the extent of it? Both?

The situation didn't stop that growl from rumbling in his throat at those repeated words, hauling himself to his feet, careful of Kazuma's tail right there.

"Big words," repeated himself in turn, even. But it wasn't a promise and threat that 76 would take lightly either. Knowing what Reaper was capable of even without whatever Dreamotion he might end up dealing with. Tracking the movement of those shadows, some little part wanting to take chase and hunt—

His attention then turned to Kazuma at his name, even if the color of his eyes now made it impossible to tell where he was looking; if not for the tilt of his head at the moment.

Right. Shit- "Looks worse than it is," not that it sounded comforting, had a feeling it didn't even before the words were said. "You good?" Of fucking course he'd ask, despite how 76 looked tired on his feet.

A disapproving hiss. Bullshit. "Don't act tough." Suddenly Reaper's remark about them being a mess made more sense.

"You need assissstance. Sstay away from me." His hissing convincingly hides that hesitance to tell 76 to get away from him. He's been managing all this time, he wants to believe his own condition is improving that he can be fine without 76 constantly checking in on him. Of course, he realize telling him to stay away isn't going to help the old man right now.

With a low growl, he comes back towards 76, reaching down with his claws to help give him some support. He'll carry him if there's no resistance. At least he can get him to the edge of town, make sure he actually goes in and gets help.

He had been managing, doing better. Slow going as some of it was simply because there was so much unknown to it all. Mistakes made, but what to do after to try and pull things back in to a better place kept stumbling from turning in to a full trip-

"You know that it's not that easy," to stay away, and not to act tough simply out of habit. Pushing himself on and on was all the knew how to do anymore. Anything less just couldn't be left like that. Wouldn't stay away.

Did allow himself to be picked up with just a noise in his throat, some mix of irritation and exasperation. Even with a few words echoing in his own head. "No matter how bad this looks."

"You and I already know nothing comess easy. That doessn't mean it'ss impossible. You have plenty of sstubborness to make things work, if you want it enough."

He heard this man go on about pushing along, being a fighter. So why the quitter talk now? His life now is literally in his hands. Once he's secure, he'll start carrying him through the forest, being careful not to move him too much and avoid any low hanging branch.

"I have those flowerss, I'll be fine. Knowing you won't change will keep my mind at peace. Don't throw that chance away."

76 was resigned to whatever this was going on with him; corruption that he didn't now how to get rid of, just slow down and manage. True, it had grown whenever Kazuma neared the edge but fell back, but... He could endure it.

"Unknown territory, and trying to wrap my head around all of this," not just what Kazuma was going through, either. "Been keeping it under control for the most part." Not fully changing counted, right?

Knew better than to fight the carry, even if he huffed a bit, a gloved hand going to his own face, fingertips light near his own jaw.

"I'm still going to check in on you- just won't stay long, keep a distance." Let Kazuma know he was fine at the same time. "Sound like a decent compromise?"

". . .SSomething troubling your mind, perhapss?" Things only escalated the way it did for Kazuma, because he allowed his negative emotions get the better of him. He had plenty of things that already weighed on his conscious. And then he consumed even more nightmare energy which led to this. One would think he would eventually return to normal once it's all burned up...

"What about Reaper?" All those fights, getting constantly riled up can't be good. What if he's also influencing him?

He muses over 76's suggestion of a compromise. ". . .Fine." If anything, if he feels their meeting has gone on for too long, he can leave himself. Admittedly, even if he told 76 to stay away, he be lying to himself that he would miss any capacity of his presence.

"One ssmall favor."

Edited 2021-11-27 01:13 (UTC)

There was a wince at the question, 76 silent for a moment before just letting his head tilted back. May as well- "Feel like I'm too old for this, but it's complicated, so yeah." A mix of feelings and troubling thoughts, a refusal to sleep more than fifteen minutes at that. He was running on fumes more often than not.

"You heard what he said, yeah?"

Only part of the turmoil that came to emotions, the anger and so much else that hung on one man and his presence here. Answers he might have, what he couldn't or just would refuse to share. That had been one hell of a declaration all the same.

At least the compromise was good. "What's the favor?"

He hums quietly. "You do too much by yoursself." He understand the man comes from a soldier background, but even soldiers have their limits. He clearly needs to give himself a break, but even if he tells the old man that, he doubts he'll really listen. He'll just have to look into how to help him personally.

"I heard, but I don't undersstand. He wass fighting you..." Which, if he's trying to prevent 76's situation from getting worse, fighting him is probably not the way to go?

"My journal. Can you retrieve it for me?" Any sort of news happening elsewhere have come from 76 when he asks. As he is now, he could probably use his journal again. Maybe not to write anything in it, but at least read up on anything when 76 is suppose to be keeping his distance.

There was some brief sound, a dry laugh that held no humor, but- "Ended up having to do a lot myself, spent six years on my own after... After everything I thought I could trust betrayed me, made me a martyr because they thought they killed me." They, no real name he could put that could be understood. Some group, and who knew who all were in their pocket. Wasn't just Talon, even if hey had the most to gain there were so many others.

"It's complicated," almost sounded as if he was going to leave it at that, but— "He was my boss during the war, and then my equal- or at least I saw it that way," those who knew about Blackwatch would possibly disagree, but he and Reyes had always spoken on even ground; even when he was pissed off at the man. He never saw him as less. "He was my partner, before we lost everything we'd built together and fought for."

Kazuma had shared with him, and after this while knowing Reaper likely wouldn't leave it at this, he deserved to know a little more.

"I can do that, yeah."

"Hm...I'm not exactly any better, but you sshould know....that thiss isn't home anymore." If he wanted to change things for himself, he could. May not come easy, but maybe the old man just needed a reminder that he doesn't need to keep up a clearly unhealthy routine.

As 76 tells him about Reaper, he still has this disapproving look on his face. "And he really thinkss beating you up iss suppose to help...? Or iss he just using you as a meanss to take out his own failuress?" Or maybe they're both doing that to each other, which isn't really any better.

"A lot of old habits are hard to shake," and that was putting it lightly. Small steps were there now, but when it came to himself- well, those habits were far, far older and he'd never had the healthiest of ways to cope.

There was a deep, and drawn out, sort of sigh- "He's working with one of the groups that had a major hand in ripping it all down," Talon meant nothing here, and it didn't make sense- but that didn't make the knowledge sting any less. "He blames me for a lot of things, on top of it, as if I didn't nearly tear myself apart to do everything I could.

"We both fucked up, honestly."

"Then I'll help you make new oness, when I'm better." It's difficult when you want to spend time with 76 and can't. So he has to get better, sooner than later, considering the extent of his change. The old man can tell him that he can keep it under control as much as he wants, but it doesn't mean it's getting any better.

There's a low hiss, a flick of his tongue, just trying to make sense of these two. "And yet, he won't make a move unless you turn." Which means he still values 76 in a odd twisted way. Why else would he be the wall to keep Reaper from burning everything down? He shakes his head. These two are fucked up. "It'ss between you and him, I understand thiss, but what's important right now, is that these fights you're having are not helping. It's spreading even more after thiss encounter."

He's starting to ponder if he should go find Reaper himself and confront him. He just might, without telling 76.

"More reason for you to, huh?" Be able to get out of the woods, be around those he wanted to be around again without worry of being a danger- or spreading it. 76 couldn't be sure if it was the time he spent close or... Things he was and wasn't doing himself. All of this was still so much guess work it was difficult to tell what was needed, if in his own stages there was anything to do.

The sound he made sounded a little bitter- "He's been watching me, even before he found out about this," gesturing to his face where eyes were still blacked out and a spiderweb of discoloration around them. Kazuma would know it was likely the state of his hands Reaper likely discovered first, "I've been chasing him across the globe for years." Yet the man still always pulled back before killing him, before he had to. The entire declaration hit strangely; why? Something that his mind was unwilling to even entertain the thought of.

"Hard to figure out exactly what does help."

"We have a new pub to work on once I'm well again." He squeezes him gently. There are things he miss, but that doesn't mean there isn't space for 76 in that life. The last time he was ever this pushy with someone was Ryunosuke. There's a faint sound of the running water as they pass a stream, leaving the deep forest and getting closer to town.

"You're sstill chasing him here...? Although, it sseems like he's the one chasing you." How the tables have turned. He goes quiet, his tail swishing about as he's thinking.

"Would you like...to use my home as another base?" Maybe a gradual return to society could help. Kazuma could always have someone to talk to and his home is admittedly rather spacious for one.

There was a breath, could have easily been a soft chuckle- one that was at least not dry, "Already said I'd help, yeah? Can supply some of the drinks," and whatever food. Give him something that would keep him from just wandering out in to the forest and staying there for days on end. Started getting back in to that habit, more so with avoiding Reaper at times and things getting too... noisy? Hard to put a finger on it.

"Chasing each other it seems, doesn't want anything or anyone else taking me down." Knowing something was wrong having Reaper want to keep more of an eye on him. At least for the most part, 76 was keeping still wit being carried. Blue would find him again easily later on; he sent her off to hunt alone at times, she could always find him.

Quiet, a hand moving to smooth through his hair, then that beard of his- "Couldn't hurt." Was close enough to a yes, wasn't it? "Weather is turning, after all."

I Am Gonna Make It Through This Year If It Kills Me || Closed

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