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[ It isn't Yuta's first mission out on his own by now, but the responsibility is still novel enough that there are still some slight jitters involved. Not that they end up being all that warranted when he's regained enough power and trained hard enough to overcome his previous weaknesses, it's just the matter of the principle. He doesn't want to fail. At least so far one part of the mission hasn't been too difficult. Having been send to a place where curses of increasing strength have started cropping up for some inexplicable reason, tasked to eliminate said curses and also find the source, leaves him partially in his element. Or rather, his other half's. It's a chance for Rika to stretch and cut loose a little and for Yuta to adjust to this new version of her.
(He tries not to dwell on the loss of her original soul too much — now permanent bereavement at last. She deserved to pass on peacefully and he can find comfort in the gift she left behind for him. He can. But grief is grief and remains a complicated beast, he knows.)
He watches her tear through the last of the lower level curses gathered together, signaling an end to this round of cleaning up in this area. ]
Good job, Rika-chan.
[ He praises just to watch her preen a little despite the fact that their task is far from over. His ability to sense cursed energy has markedly improved, but it can still be difficult to really get a good feel, especially when Rika is out even half-manifested as she is. This is practice for that, too. Yuta can tell there's a stronger curse lingering around somewhere in the vicinity — or maybe, with any luck, it's the source — and he tries to hone in on it. A moment of focus later and his feet set him on a course down an alley, Rika drifting in his wake. ]
[ He'd rushed straight to the hospital upon hearing that Victor suddenly slipped into a coma. No one had any answers for him, only that his dear friend had left behind an unusual tome with a note attached entrusting it to Will. If this was his friend's final request before falling unconscious, Will was determined to see it through.
That task proved to be more challenging than anticipated. It started with bizarre shadows rippling along the floor, seemingly following his tracks. And when he'd broken into a dead sprint with the book tucked under his arm, they surged forward in an effort to catch up with him. Whatever these strange shapes were, they gave Will an awful feeling, a terrible pit forming in his stomach as he ran as fast as his legs could carry him.
But those shadows moved much quicker than him, sailing forward and through him. Will braced himself for whatever consequences they might bring, yet those strange shapes merely slithered away. Perhaps this was victory. Perhaps they'd leave him alone. And it was only after taking another two steps that he realized their true intent, leaving his head spinning and his vision blurring around the edges.
He could only hope the sickly sensation would fade away after a bit of rest. With what remained of his fast-fading strength, Will managed to slip away into a quieter alley. Here, he could rest for a little while before making the journey back home. He curls up on his side, tome tucked against his chest as he squeezes his eyes shut.
For now, it seems the curses in the vicinity are willing to wait for their work to run its course, sapping their target of his strength before closing in for their reward. There's an odd breeze that stirs in the area too though, one that seems to signal something more powerful may yet lurk nearby. ]
[ Yuta's steps are swift yet quietly cautious as he advances in the direction that feels most off. As strong a deterrent as Rika's presence is to most curses, he knows better than to throw caution to the wind. He has no idea what he's up against, the brief had very few details to illuminate the matter, and asking the locals about anything unusual in the area had only led to tales of the usual myths and urban legends so far. None of it enough to warrant the flocking of curses, of the foreboding unease he's sensing now with every step he takes. Whatever it is, he's getting close.
With a tightened grip on his drawn sword and Rika's breaths in his ears, he turns another corner, ready to—
Well, Rika is more prepared. She suddenly rushes past him, giving him only a glimpse of various shadowy shapes scattering to escape her charge. Where she hones in on one shape to chase, Yuta instead finds his attention caught and held by something else entirely. To his alarm, there's a very human-shaped lump on the ground. He doesn't even hesitate for a single second to come running over, trusting Rika to keep the curses at bay while he checks on the person, assumed injured if not worse. ]
Are you okay!?
[ There's little hesitance too in dropping to his knees — a blatant disregard for any stinging incurred by the suddenness of it — and reaching out with his free hand. ]
[ There's another person's voice, one that Will doesn't recognize at all. He blinks blearily before slowly opening his eyes, gaze a little unfocused. It rests on the stranger's face before lowering to land on the sword in the other person's grasp. Just his luck, he thinks to himself, that even after managing to outrun most of those strange entities, he'd meet his demise anyways by a stranger with a blade.
Will shies away from Yuta's hand, curling himself further around the book despite the sweat gathering on his brow. This person must be here to take it from him. He won't let them, can't let them, not when it's something he must protect on his friend's behalf. ]
Stay away, I -- I'm not... I'm not handing it over --
[ A wave of powerful cursed energy radiates from the tome. It pulses like a beacon, as though it were broadcasting its location. For a moment it appears the signature goes undetected, until a shrill ear-piercing cry fills the air. The sound of wings flapping in the air draws nearer and nearer, and with it, the sensation of overwhelming energy.
Something's headed their way. Whatever it is, it's strong. ]
[ The person flinches away from his touch after glancing at his katana and Yuta doesn't force it, though it does nothing to assuage the frown of concern or keep it from deepening. There's no visible injury that he can see right away, but that doesn't mean the other teen isn't hurt. With the way the he's curled up, he can't see everything either. Yuta can only just barely make out the book that's being clutched tightly in his arms. The stranger just looks unwell and that can't be ignored. Did he get cursed or poisoned by those fleeing curses? If only he could be allowed to touch him, Yuta could suss out what's wrong and apply RTC where needed, but he doesn't want to carelessly touch him and potentially make matters worse. ]
I'm not here to hurt you.
[ He tries his best to soothe, voice schooled into something calm and even. It doesn't work though, he's being told to stay away and the second bit about "not handing it over" throws him into confusion right up until the pulse of cursed energy that sets his teeth on edge instantly. The source of what's been attracting the curses. It has to be. ]
You can't keep holding on to that, it's—
[ There's no time to explain, it seems. The shrill cry cuts him off and whatever it came from is honing in fast. Yuta wastes no time calling out Rika's name to have her abandon her chase and come darting back to stand guard against the powerful presence that's approaching. There's a battle-ready tension winding tight through his body, but he doesn't rise to his feet just yet. The alleyway is a bad spot for them to remain and for him to take a stand in, he needs to get the other boy somewhere safer if he can help it. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
— for timemarcheson
(He tries not to dwell on the loss of her original soul too much — now permanent bereavement at last. She deserved to pass on peacefully and he can find comfort in the gift she left behind for him. He can. But grief is grief and remains a complicated beast, he knows.)
He watches her tear through the last of the lower level curses gathered together, signaling an end to this round of cleaning up in this area. ]
Good job, Rika-chan.
[ He praises just to watch her preen a little despite the fact that their task is far from over. His ability to sense cursed energy has markedly improved, but it can still be difficult to really get a good feel, especially when Rika is out even half-manifested as she is. This is practice for that, too. Yuta can tell there's a stronger curse lingering around somewhere in the vicinity — or maybe, with any luck, it's the source — and he tries to hone in on it. A moment of focus later and his feet set him on a course down an alley, Rika drifting in his wake. ]
This way, I think...
o7
That task proved to be more challenging than anticipated. It started with bizarre shadows rippling along the floor, seemingly following his tracks. And when he'd broken into a dead sprint with the book tucked under his arm, they surged forward in an effort to catch up with him. Whatever these strange shapes were, they gave Will an awful feeling, a terrible pit forming in his stomach as he ran as fast as his legs could carry him.
But those shadows moved much quicker than him, sailing forward and through him. Will braced himself for whatever consequences they might bring, yet those strange shapes merely slithered away. Perhaps this was victory. Perhaps they'd leave him alone. And it was only after taking another two steps that he realized their true intent, leaving his head spinning and his vision blurring around the edges.
He could only hope the sickly sensation would fade away after a bit of rest. With what remained of his fast-fading strength, Will managed to slip away into a quieter alley. Here, he could rest for a little while before making the journey back home. He curls up on his side, tome tucked against his chest as he squeezes his eyes shut.
For now, it seems the curses in the vicinity are willing to wait for their work to run its course, sapping their target of his strength before closing in for their reward. There's an odd breeze that stirs in the area too though, one that seems to signal something more powerful may yet lurk nearby. ]
no subject
With a tightened grip on his drawn sword and Rika's breaths in his ears, he turns another corner, ready to—
Well, Rika is more prepared. She suddenly rushes past him, giving him only a glimpse of various shadowy shapes scattering to escape her charge. Where she hones in on one shape to chase, Yuta instead finds his attention caught and held by something else entirely. To his alarm, there's a very human-shaped lump on the ground. He doesn't even hesitate for a single second to come running over, trusting Rika to keep the curses at bay while he checks on the person, assumed injured if not worse. ]
Are you okay!?
[ There's little hesitance too in dropping to his knees — a blatant disregard for any stinging incurred by the suddenness of it — and reaching out with his free hand. ]
no subject
Will shies away from Yuta's hand, curling himself further around the book despite the sweat gathering on his brow. This person must be here to take it from him. He won't let them, can't let them, not when it's something he must protect on his friend's behalf. ]
Stay away, I -- I'm not... I'm not handing it over --
[ A wave of powerful cursed energy radiates from the tome. It pulses like a beacon, as though it were broadcasting its location. For a moment it appears the signature goes undetected, until a shrill ear-piercing cry fills the air. The sound of wings flapping in the air draws nearer and nearer, and with it, the sensation of overwhelming energy.
Something's headed their way. Whatever it is, it's strong. ]
no subject
I'm not here to hurt you.
[ He tries his best to soothe, voice schooled into something calm and even. It doesn't work though, he's being told to stay away and the second bit about "not handing it over" throws him into confusion right up until the pulse of cursed energy that sets his teeth on edge instantly. The source of what's been attracting the curses. It has to be. ]
You can't keep holding on to that, it's—
[ There's no time to explain, it seems. The shrill cry cuts him off and whatever it came from is honing in fast. Yuta wastes no time calling out Rika's name to have her abandon her chase and come darting back to stand guard against the powerful presence that's approaching. There's a battle-ready tension winding tight through his body, but he doesn't rise to his feet just yet. The alleyway is a bad spot for them to remain and for him to take a stand in, he needs to get the other boy somewhere safer if he can help it. ]
Can you stand?