idk this is some crazy stuff

[lovehurts]

[Things were going well. For awhile, everything was getting better, and there hasn't been any fighting in some time. Even the nightmares have calmed a bit -- though Raikou never detailed what they were. Tsuyukusa pushed him into confessing they're about his weeks in prison, and into admitting "they hurt me", but nothing beyond that. It doesn't much matter what happened though, when life has relaxed into something content and full of smiles more often than tears.

But the mental and physical scars are still there, on top of the problems he was born with, and things can't stay uneventful forever. He's been antsy for a few days, ever since a meeting with his superiors that he grudgingly attended. The nights have been rough again, too.

And now he's gone. One morning Raikou seems to have simply evaporated, leaving no signs of his going, not even missing supplies to account for a trip. And the most telltale sign that something's not right? His treasured sword remains in its place, untouched. Of course, the house and grounds are huge, so there's a chance he's still around somewhere...]

Comments

[rootless]

[Luckily, Tsuyukusa has an excellent sense of smell. Taking into account how well the ayakashi knows Raikou's scent, it should be a simple matter to track him down much like a scent hound.

Except other people live here, and more problematically Raikou lives here. His scent is everywhere, in varying degrees of freshness, and it leads Tsuyu in circles upon circles. But he's determined, and if Raikou is still here, he'll find him eventually. If he's not? Well, the tree spirit has his trail.]

[lovehurts]

[After some wandering, it should be clear that he's really gone. It should also be clear that some unfamiliar people were around recently. A few someones that smell of drink and unwashed bodies and one who smells of incense and recently dyed silk have been tramping about the gardens, which are always full of Raikou's scent, since he likes to sit around in them a lot.

Whoever they were never came within human sight of the house, and they seem to have left, blundering into the forest the Sakata summer house backs onto. Follow their trail much into the woods, and it gets worse -- the smell of human blood in the distance.]

[rootless]

[He doesn't trust those strange scents, and picks up his pace considerably.

The moment he catches that tang of blood, though, he stops dead. It's just a few moments, just a small interval of panic, and then he's taking off at an inhuman speed, only slowing occasionally to make sure he hasn't lost the scent.]

[lovehurts]

[He isn't dreadfully hard to find. The blood scent just gets stronger, and eventually it's mixed with all the other putrid smells of death. By then Tsuyukusa is in earshot, and the sound of metal on metal and shouting is ringing through the air. For someone who's been close to him, the tone of Raikou's voice is a huge red flag -- high pitched and strained but full of laughter, it's the voice he uses when he's completely snapped.

Upon arriving at the scene, it's even clearer that he has. It's a rough camp, set up maybe a few hours ago -- shortly after the last time Raikou was seen. Judging by the tracks there was a horse-drawn cart at some point, but it seems to have veered off into the woods, trailing blood behind it. In its stead are the bodies of a good ten or fifteen men, clearly hired ne'er-do-wells with no significance beyond their recently snuffed-out lives. Tsuyukusa will come in as Raikou cuts down the last one, and stalks towards the cowering monk who had been with them. He's so coated in blood it's impossible to tell if any of it is his, but judging by the way he sways and the extra-tight sound of his voice, some probably is.

He's still in one of the simple yukata he tends to wear for lounging around the garden or their quarters, and his hair is a disheveled mess under the coating of blood. He doesn't notice Tsuyukusa, either -- he's focused entirely on the terrified man in front of him.]

Your turn! Aren't you excited? You must be suicidal if you thought you could take me alive with that kind of force. Or did they not warn you who you're dealing with?

[A pause, as the man begins to beg, and Raikou starts to laugh his manic, hysterical laugh.]

Please? Please? You want mercy? That's odd. You certainly didn't think much of pleas an hour ago...

[rootless]

[The scents of blood and terror and death are heavy in the air, heavy enough that they don't even make him sluggish or disgusted, but rocket him right into adrenaline, the bloodpumping sense of being alive.

And it's tempting, so tempting to just stand back, let Raikou finish the last of them, but... there's a reason he shouldn't, probably. Even if he can't think of one right now, it's a solid enough sense that he decides to follow it.

So the tree spirit strides forward, unflinching, and moves to grab that monk by the throat, to slam him up against a nearby tree trunk, if Raikou doesn't interfere.]

Raikou. What happened here?

[lovehurts]

[He blanches when Tsuyukusa interrupts, but it's hard to see beneath the blood. It's also quickly followed up by a dangerous giggle and a casual shrug, as Raikou carelessly waves the third-rate sword he stole from one of the corpses.]

Ah, I wonder! I couldn't sleep, and then... Mm, but it isn't really any of your business. I'd back off now if I were you.

[rootless]

You disappeared. Last I checked, that's definitely my business.

[And he's keeping that monk firmly pressed up against the tree, though his attention is mostly on Raikou. And his voice softens a little, despite himself.]

Are you hurt?

[lovehurts]

It's their fault.

[He doesn't answer the question directly, but even if he is hurt it easily fits under the same statement. He didn't leave on his own.]

Move, Tsuyukusa. I'm going to kill him.

[rootless]

He's not going anywhere. Talk to me, Raikou.

[lovehurts]

Move.

[rootless]

Raikou.

[lovehurts]

If you won't, I'll cut you down with him.

[rootless]

[It's not unexpected, really. Not at all. But it still hurts, and this man undoubtedly deserves it anyway, and the heady tang of the human blood in the air is making it hard to rationalize, hard to reign in his impulses.

So he breaks the monk's neck in a swift, clean movement, drops him, and turns to go.]

Come home when you can think straight.

NEW THREAD FUCK YES

[lovehurts]

[Hey Tsuyukusa you might be sleeping because it's a nice day and it's sunny and lazy outside

Or you could just be lying around and not sleeping

either way you're being flopped on]

Re: NEW THREAD FUCK YES

[rootless]

[twitches a little, then just ruffles Raikou's hair absently.]

[lovehurts]

[adjusts til he's laying across Tsuyu's stomach and can reach for a nearby jug of water]

Afternoon.

[rootless]

Yyyep, that's where the sun is.

[closes his eye again and basks in it.]

[lovehurts]

[dribbling water over your face with my fingers :")]

[rootless]

[mmmmh wrinkles his nose.]

Okay yes afternoon.

[lovehurts]

Nice day, isn't it?

[keeps doing it anyway]

[rootless]

[rocking from side to side fussily.]

Yes?

[lovehurts]

[poking cheeks with wet fingers now]

[rootless]

What?

[lovehurts]

I'm bored.

[rootless]

Mm? And what do you want me to do about it?