『 open 』 — let's not pretend to be new men;

[hitokiri]

🧙 WHO: Izō (hitokiri), Jongdae (itsjiaheng) + whoever else!
⚔️️ WHAT: Late Post-Event things + Quests + October catch-all
🕒 WHEN: Post-event and throughout October
🗺️ WHERE: All over!
⚠️ WARNINGS: Angst! Goofs! Blood and death mentions and such. Izō's here so expect irresponsible use of alcohol, as usual. Anything worse, check post headers.


⮑ izō;

brocéliande | open
suns out, guns out | open

⮑ jongdae;

not quite a puppy parade | open

Comments

⚔️ — izō.

[hitokiri]

① brocéliande | open

[hitokiri]

[ what a nice guy izō is, volunteering to give up his inn room! it isn't like it's a difficult choice; he's not sharing with a random stranger or someone a lot more familiar, and getting out of that building, for now, is really for the best. he didn't take everything that happened as hard as many other people, but it sure seemed like a wake-up call. something had to give. so, he'd bundled his few belongings up and cleared out.

these woods aren't unfamiliar since he'd come here before with jane, so at the very least, he already knows not to mess with the paper ties. he tries to find a spot well enough away from them, just in case. that's the last thing he needs. given the time of year, it's a bit cold, especially at night, but he acquired a lighter at some point, so at the very least, even he can make himself a little fire. the rest is him being too stubborn to admit it might be uncomfortable or too drunk to care. whatever his wake-up call had entailed, it doesn't seem to have inspired him to spend any more time sober than strictly necessary. ]

Ⓐ EVERYTHING'S FINE..!

[ one might find him catching up on missed sleep during the relative safety of the day, sitting with his back leaned against a tree trunk. izō keeps one of his swords leaned against his shoulder, and his large hat keeps the light off his face. notably, there's a fluffy black dog curled up on his lap. a pile of stones and ashes nearby are the remnants of what had kept him warm during the night, and there are bits of trash about that he hasn't gotten around to gathering up and finding a proper place for yet.

even with his back against the tree, he's started leaning to one side over time. little by little, it gets worse until gravity wins out, and he falls right over sideways. the dog hops off his lap before he snaps awake and flails a bit in his haste to get to his feet, the distinctive click as he opens the sword in preparation to draw it very audible in the quiet of the woods. sure, he looks pissed off to see anyone right after that rude awakening (even if it was entirely his fault). ]

What the hell ya doin' sneakin' up on people?! Ya wanna die?!

[ just pay attention to the fact that he's mad now and forget what he was just doing. the dog just sits nearby, unbothered. probably used to izō's bullshit by now. ]

Ⓑ WHAT A HORRIBLE NIGHT TO HAVE A CURSE

[ heading back to his crappy little campsite in the dark is a bit more potentially treacherous than just going back to the inn like he's used to doing. he knows his phone has a flashlight, at least, which is about all he has to illuminate the path ahead of him. being careful with the battery is a thing he has to think about without constant access to a plug, but he'd tripped over tree roots and into brambles enough times that he can spare a percent or two if he has to.

izō mostly shines the light at the ground, so that means it's harder to notice any obstacles that might be higher up. at one point, he walks face-first into a spider web. the light goes all over wildly as he tries to brush the sticky strands off of his face and out of his hair and pulls at his clothes because he has no idea where the spider went. why are there spiders anyway when it's cold now?!

another casualty besides the spider web? one of the paper ties you aren't supposed to touch. he swings an arm without thinking and then goes still when he hears the sound of paper tearing. oh. that'll make you sober up a little real quick. too bad those scary stories he'd heard as a kid never explained what to do if you made a kechibi angry. of course, the local wisps aren't the ones he's heard about from back home. he'd actually been told that the local wisps are fairly harmless, but he forgot about that part. it's way easier to remember spooky ghost stories from a long time ago, naturally. he shines the light to see what he's done... ]

Aw, shit. Fuck. Shit.

[ you'll probably find him here, holding his phone in his teeth so he can shine the light in the right place and trying to re-tie the paper to the branch it was attached to. he's probably a little jumpier than usual right now too... ]

Ⓒ WILDCARD

[ want something else? izō is just living out here now, so feel free to throw anything else at me that fits! ]

A

[amakakeru]

[ Ryouma immediately puts his hands up the moment he hears that click. He'd heard that Izō was out in the woods, but he hadn't expected to almost literally stumble upon him.

A kirin keeps its distance from Ryouma with an ever watchful eye. Watch it, Izō. ]

N-no, I don't want to die and I didn't mean to startle you. I didn't think I'd find you right here.

[ A lot has happened since that last drunken incident and he's mostly grateful to see him in one piece. He'd never say that he came looking for him because he was afraid he'd died, but that's exactly why he came after him. It's more of a relief to see him alive and as reactive as ever. ]

Have you just been staying out here?

[hitokiri]

[ izō does a double-take at the kirin before he looks down at the little dog with a frown. why couldn't his familiar be something cool and interesting? embarrassing. knowing it's not a threat, he sits back down on the ground again. he's wide awake now but he might as well save his energy anyway. ]

Yeah. I just been stayin' out here. Got everythin' anybody could need.

[ you know, aside from proper shelter. but he's dealing with that..? ]

[amakakeru]

[ Ryouma gives the little dog a brief, fond smile. How cute...It's almost like what Izō would look like as a dog. His kirin settles down and keeps its distance for now; Izō has been deemed not a threat. Ryouma sits down with a sigh. ]

Do you now? [ He's not going to state what's obviously lacking. ] I hadn't seen you around, so I'm glad to see you're alright.

[ After everything that happened. ]

[hitokiri]

Yeah, I do.

[ this is a perfectly mature conversation they're having. ]

I was jus' restin' up a little after that shit with the dragon, then I cleared out when they started tryna talk people into sharin'. [ a pause. ] 'Cause I'm good like that, y'know. Not like I needed it.

[ not at all because he hates most people enough to have a strong aversion to the idea. ]

Figured you'd be busy doin'—... I dunno. Some kinda heroic shit.

[amakakeru]

[ Ryouma lets that go. It's...fine. As far as what he's been doing, he can't quite look at Izō. What he'd witnessed in Lestari bothered him more than he'd like to admit; he's too kind-hearted for his own good.

He shakes his head and finally looks up with a smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes. Something isn't right. ]

No...After I helped out in Lestari, I've just been trying to relax and keep my head down.

[ It wasn't a lie, either. His ultimate goal lately is just trying to take it easy and keep an eye on those close to him. ]

I decided to stay in the inn because, well...I can't help anyone if I don't have what I need first.

[hitokiri]

So much for "peacetime", huh?

[ he's not trying to be funny. it's tiring even as it's an opportunity to finally do something. maybe tiring because it is. the threat of the world falling apart around them did not do either of them any favours in the past, at least between the two of them. ]

Didn't go lookin' myself. Nothin' there I need t'see.

[ he can imagine just fine. dragons and stone giants are as much a natural disaster as an earthquake or a typhoon. ]

Anyway, if ya wanna stay there I ain't judgin' ya. I jus' gotta get by until somebody needs me for somethin', same as usual.

[amakakeru]

Mm...

[ That's all he can really say about that for now -- well, all he wants to say. Anything else feels like too much to handle. He's also coping with the fact he's lonely without Oryou around; it feels silly to admit to that with everything else that's been happening. ]

You don't have to just get by, you know. You always have a place with me.

[ Okay maybe that was too much to say, but it's too late to rephrase that. ]

[hitokiri]

[ yeah, something's not right. anyone who knew ryouma at all at any other time would probably notice. that makes it feel like his choice is an obvious one; izō doesn't believe that ryouma was serious when he'd said he wanted to deal with his trouble. so isn't this doing ryouma a favour? ]

If yer tryna get yer shit together, the last thing ya need is me wastin' yer time. But yeah, sure, good t'know I can come borrow ya shower some time.

[amakakeru]

How many times do I need to tell you that I want you around, that I like having you around before you'll believe me?

[ Something is very wrong if he just came right out and said that. He closes his eyes, more like he's flinching than anything. A deep breath to compose himself and he tries again. ]

I'm sorry. I'm not...trying to put anything on you, but Izō please understand that I like you, I care about you, and I just...I don't know. [ Being around so much death unsettled him. ] Now that I've got you with me again, I don't...want to lose you.

[ What's said is said and it's better this way. He expects Izō to rebuke him for it, nonetheless. ]

B

[fujimaru]

[ When Ritsuka had initially conceived of her plans, it had all been very vague: get some decent camping gear (much easier than anticipated, thanks to Beowulf's generous donation), find a spot near some running water, and set herself up for the indefinite future. There were some vague concerns about the upcoming winter and all its potential weather changes floating around in the back of her mind, but they'd all been neatly slotted into the let's worry about this later category.

On the other hand, it turns out things are a lot spookier when you're on your own in a forest with known fae activity. Ritsuka is capable of falling asleep anywhere at any time, but sometimes it takes more effort than others! Sometimes you've just got to give up on sleeping for a little bit and take a walk through dark and (mostly) uninhabited woods!

(Listen, most of Ritsuka's plans are barely plans at all, operating on instinct, hope, and impulse.)

She sees the light before she hears the swearing, and it takes her a moment after that to recognize the voice. ...he doesn't sound terribly pleased, but since it doesn't sound like he's in the middle of a fight, maybe that's to be expected.

Either way, she does make a beeline towards it. How could she not? ]

Izō-san...? Hey, Izō-san, is that you?

[ Option two is one of those monsters that sound like someone you know to lure you out, but... she'll deal with that possibility, if true, when it happens. ]

this is immediately stupid and i'm living

[hitokiri]

[ the sound of a voice calling his name out here startles izō enough to drop the phone, so then he has to make a decision: pick up the light or go for his weapon.

it's probably telling that he draws his sword first then, but he doesn't go swinging it wildly in the dark because that's what got him into this trouble to begin with. instead, izō hesitates, holding his breath for a second or two; if it's something supernatural and terrible then he's already screwed, right?

since nothing kills him or sucks out his soul, izō dives quickly for the phone and shines the light all around, holding the sword defensively in one hand. maybe his hands are shaking a little. in his defence, shit's scary. ]

Hey, look, c'mon? I fixed the fuckin' thing!

[ he's also considered that maybe that voice had come out of some sort of spirit sent here to revenge kill him, but if he can avoid the problem altogether it's worth a shot.. maybe..? ]

it's a one-way ticket to idiot town

[fujimaru]

That's fine!!

[ It's probably a good thing he didn't actually start swinging the sword. Imagine how much the light glinting off the blade would have made this whole thing that much worse--like some low-tech sort of strobe lighting. Ritsuka's seen the way a Servant's sword gleams in perfect movie-style flashes.

And it's also not terribly smart to approach once she's sure he's not going to just accidentally stab her, but sometimes... that's just the kind of action you have to take. ]

It's me. Ritsuka. Uh. Whatever it was, I'm sure it's fine now?

[ Probably? Probably! There's no sounds of anything breaking, so she will choose to believe things are okay, until such time that she cannot ignore that they are not. ]

[hitokiri]

[ and those are the only cool sword lasers he's willing to allow. ]

Huh? Master..?

[ now officially feeling foolish, he gets his shit together and makes an effort to look like what just happened didn't just happen. it's dark! a trick of the light! he wasn't scared actually, just surprised!

izō also puts the sword away, so at least ritsuka can feel assured that he won't be stabbing her at all, accidentally or otherwise. ]

What're ya doin' out here? Sorta... outta the way and all...

[ never mind the fact that someone could ask him the same question... ]

[fujimaru]

Ehhhh, well...

[ Does she actually have a good reason? Not really. Izō's not as much of a protective motherhen as some Servants--she's actually a little relieved that she doesn't have to dodge them in this place, especially after the events of last month--but he's probably not going to be thrilled about her wandering around completely by herself, right? ]

Uh, same to you...?

[ When in doubt, return the volley! Block that question and hit it right back! ]

[hitokiri]

[ he might not be one to motherhen intensely because he'll leave that to ryouma thanks but he likes to think that as a bullshitter himself he can recognise other people's when they try it. also there's no reason he can think of for why anyone would want to be out here since he'd tried to choose a place that would (ideally) have the least likelihood of weird things going on. ]

That's easy, even though I asked ya first. Didn't feel like sharin' so I gave up my room at the inn.

[ here's where he makes it a point to lean forward and down so he can get on her level. ]

Well..?

[fujimaru]

[ Hope you're ready to lean down pretty far, because she little.

She also starts a little, and for a couple of seconds there is 100% guilty dog energy coming from her as she fidgets, glancing one way, then the other. ]

I, uh... I thought maybe I'd try doing some camping...? You know. Uh.

[ Well, from the sounds of it, they're kind of doing the same thing, just approaching it from different angles, so after a few more seconds of hedging, she shrugs. ]

Since I'm pretty used to camping at this point, I thought, why not! I'll free up a room for all the new folks coming in. That's all.

[hitokiri]

[ good thing he's willing to go the extra mile to be a smug bitch about this then~ these moments are few, and he will inevitably live to regret it, but for the moment, he looks way too pleased with seeing ritsuka's guilty dog energy. ]

I obviously ain't judgin' ya.

[ that'd be silly. ]

But I'm sure any of the others woulda shared no problem? Me not offerin' woulda been doin' ya a favour though even if I'd had space, hehe.

[ in coming to terms with seeing a person he feels like he knows pretty well — despite his poor skill at socialising — as a woman now, he seems to have acquired some amount of shame over his behaviour in the past. some things are just way more embarrassing in front of girls. ]

Point is, ya got better options.

[ he, arguably, also has better options, but he's fully prepared to sit out here and freeze to death before he ever caves to asking for help. ]

[fujimaru]

I didn't wanna cause anyone trouble.

[ Therein is the crux of the problem, such as it exists. He's not wrong that she could have probably asked and been guaranteed at least a week or two of somewhere to stay outside of the inn--or even at the inn, let's be honest--and it would have been fine. She would have been taken care of, and there would be an extra freed-up room.

But also, as accommodating as she prefers to be, adjusting her approach to suit the person she's dealing with... she's also got a wholeass stubborn independent streak. Sometimes she gets an idea in her head and she just goes with it. The fact that it has worked out more often than not, during the course of her time as Chaldea's Master, has only provided her a lot of unfortunate confirmation bias. ]

Anyway, the weather's not so bad, right? Haha, we could just make a little commune out here in the woods. What do you think about that, Izō-san?

[ Population: the two of them and any weird fae monsters literally going bump in the night. ]

② suns out, guns out | open

[hitokiri]

[ this is so not the worst thing izō's ever done. no one necessarily needs to die! it's easy work when making threats and looking somewhat unhinged at any given time is something you're already used to doing.

izō is at least picky about who he shakes down for the fees. plenty of refugees made out better than others, so he chooses the ones that look like they can pay up. or the ones who just look like assholes. or the ones he overhears and decides he can't stand. he has standards!

izō also doesn't appreciate being given a hard time, same as usual. ]

Look, shit sucks for everybody, so I ain't in the mood t'hear it. We all gotta eat. Hurry up! I got other shit t'do today...

[ the man in the celliwig fashion he has cornered at the moment was just trying to make excuses, he's sure.

izō is alert even though he's busy because he's well aware people have Opinions about things from the dark web, so anyone that shows up right about now gets side-eyed intensely no matter who they are. ]

If yer here t'give me a hard time, ya can fuck right off.

[ichoosefight]

[ Steph isn't doing the mask thing. She's not looking for trouble, she really isn't. But she can't just pretend she doesn't see a scared looking man being cornered away from the flow of traffic.

She's ready to throw herself into battle with the stranger, but slows when she realizes he's not holding a weapon. He's not big enough to intimidate someone with size alone. She watches for a moment, sizing up the situation, before he notices her. ]

...Is this supposed to be a mugging?

[ If so, it's kind of a weird one. ]

🐅— jongdae.

[itsjiaheng]

① not quite a puppy parade | open

[itsjiaheng]

YOOOOOOO! DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS IS?!

[ unfortunately for everyone, jongdae has become aware of the compies. he might as well be bouncing he's so excited. as such, he doesn't care who is around because he's gotta talk about it. he's chosen his fave and is now cradling one of the little dinosaurs in his arms like a baby. ]

This is totally the same type of dinosaur that almost ate a kid in the opening of The Lost World: Jurassic Park and that's rad as hell but like I dunno what I'd even name one...

[ he finally pauses to take a breath. ]

What do you think? I'm not above crowdsourcing.

[kokuryuu]

[When Jongdae looks around, he sees that Souma has ninjaed in there, shoving a fistful of gold at the shopkeeper to buy that great lizard, and anything else Jongdae wants.

And that. Souma points at the squeaky toy frog. It's for Sana.]