Itsuki laughs, squeezing Buzen's pinky, and then loosening his hold so he can clasp his hand in his. It's true that promise hasn't changed anything -- hasn't convinced either of them to not feel what they're feeling. He takes heart in it anyway. a promise made is still worth something, even if all the odds are stacked against them.
The odds... his expression sobers a little,]
...Feels like I'm tying you down.
[his yan-adjacent ass realizes this. if itsuki's life will only be a small fraction of buzen's, then it's not fair to keep the rest of him. it's not fair.... and yet..............]
it's hard for buzen to really get a sense of what itsuki is saying. he's always been as free as the wind, the type to go wherever he wants without looking back. typically he expects others to follow him as they please, his comrades always chasing after his footsteps.
but he looks a little amused when itsuki's expression turns slightly - guilty? buzen can't quite place the emotion, but he leans in to kiss the melancholy off his face anyway]
Good.
[with all the certainty he can muster]
You'll always remind me I have a home to come back to.
[how can he mind being tied to someone who will always welcome him back?]
[his melancholy vanishes, leaving only a bright smile on his face. ...it really is like buzen, to always turn his insecurities inside out. it's more than love, it's just -- him.
buzen gou, the sword so fast he's never been seen, and the sword who'll always chase away his worries.
maybe he should say more now, but -- it's not important. and he doesn't want to confuse buzen, when he'd asked him to be with only him all those weeks ago.]
I love you, Buzen. ...I won't ever regret that.
[he won't regret the promise, no matter what he sees in the future. he'll finally take off buzen's other glove,]
[itsuki really said 'i could possibly release this sword into future poly but not yet :)' and i think that's actually pretty valid of him
regardless buzen... relaxes ever so slightly. maybe some part of him was worried about that, even if he hadn't realized. if maybe at some point itsuki would regret choosing him, regret loving him when faced with the truth of everything that buzen carries.
it'd be nice if his words could be true. buzen finds himself a little nervous to hope but... he still does. he leans in to press another kiss to itsuki's mouth like trying to get a taste of his certainty]
Mm, we can. [a beat] Tell me about something good that happened while I was gone, though. Before we fall asleep.
[he'd like to know just one thing that's sweet, before they embark on what buzen considers nothing short of a journey to hell]
[stop i hate itsuki so much he's out here with a ring in one hand and paraiso in the other
If Buzen wants certainty, then Itsuki will give it to him. he's full to bursting with it, content in knowing that he'll always be buzen's and buzen will always be his. he's putting a pin in future poly and tabling that discussion way off into the future,
for now he kisses Buzen back, laughs into his mouth before pulling back because as much as itsuki's always down for horny, he's just as touch starved too. he wants to hold buzen in his arms when they go to sleep tonight, as if this will somehow help prepare him for the dream they're about to see (IT REALLY WON'T???). for now though, he's happy to fulfill buzen's request]
Hm... I feel like the best thing was you coming home? [he's just so gay...] But let me think...
[itsuki shuffles through the days, immediately discarding all the extremely embarrassing moments of itsuki pining over buzen to anyone who had the patience to listen to him, before remembering,]
I've been telling stories to some of the swords. They're really interested in fairy tales? Like Kuwa -- he likes Jack and the Beanstalk the best. [WONDER WHY...] But a few days ago, I was telling Urashima-kun the story of the little mermaid, and he got really excited. He said he wanted to talk to a mermaid, and asked me the best way to do that.
I said I wasn't sure, but that he should maybe try to leave a message in the ocean for them. [the amusement is very clear in his voice as he continues] And then yesterday -- I found out that he and some of the other swords stole all the clams from the kitchen.
[now he's laughing]
They put notes in every single clam. They said they wanted to throw them into the river so that the mermaids could find them. Apparently, Tsuru-san told them it was the fastest way.
[aka the chaos swords were in the bg enabling all of this to happen, itsuki is Innocent,]
[i'm losing my mind over the fact that you have to literally come up with some kind of reasoning for why they aren't going to bang tonight this is so funny aweklghekg
anyway buzen listens!! he finishes changing into a more casual set of clothes, loose and comfy enough for sleep. he stretches out as he listens to itsuki's story, lets the laugh get startled out of him, fond and disbelieving even though he can totally imagine this. immediately his own hand will reach for itsuki's once he's done, tugging him out of the room and headed for their shared room....
if he dreams of paraiso, he would simply like to put as much distance between him and matsui as possible,]
Pffhaha, you're really teaching them a lot!! If they haven't thrown the clams yet, we should go. I want to write a message too! Are mermaids fast, do you think?
[you IDIOT you FOOL don't just FALL FOR THE SAME CHAOS AS SOON AS YOU'RE HOME]
I can probably fight off a mermaid, if it came to it...
[probably... he's thinking about it now. but he'll cuddle itsuki into his arms even as he goes to fall back against the futon, adjusting the blankets to cover them both...
he presses a kiss to itsuki's forehead now, thoughtful]
... are you sure about this, Suki? That you want to see a mission...
[ . . . buzen thinks about that for a moment but - it's about as safe as it could ever be. putting this in itsuki's hand to control, so he can decide his own limits.
buzen will just softly hum at that, his fingers automatically running through itsuki's hair even as he watches his expression.]
[at that, itsuki immediately looks curious, turning his head a little so he can look at Buzen more clearly, but otherwise not moving too much. he feels so comfortable here...
it really has been a while since buzen's slept at his side. it isn't as if he was totally bereft without him, not with the gous to keep him company.
...still, the gous aren't buzen. and having buzen here now reinforces that fact,]
[softly confirming, even as he runs his fingers through itsuki's hair on repeat - it's hard to say whether it's to soothe itsuki, or for buzen to just have an excuse to keep touching him.
to remember the softness of this moment even as memories begin to creep into the back of his mind]
Under the sunbeams in the morning, In the warmth of the afternoon, I wonder if the Lord Jesus was with me then? If so, I wonder where He was at night? In your dreams, you can meet Him. Ororon, ororon, ororonbai.
[his voice is steady as he recalls that song that emosaku would sing to himself, lost in his thoughts and grief after amakusa shirou was killed in front of him. the comfort that thinking of his heaven would bring.
buzen never sang this lullaby to meteion. it always felt just a little too sad. still he brings his hand to cup itsuki's cheek and lets his thumb run lightly underneath his eye]
Ah, dry your nightly tears and fall back asleep. Ororon, ororon, ororonbai.
itsuki's heard many lullabies, thanks to the nature of his job, but this one stands out. it's not about a child or romance, or missing a loved one. this one is soft enough to lull him to sleep. there's something in buzen's voice -- as steady as it is -- that makes him feel pensive. his eyes blink closed at the touch of his thumb, then blink back open, soft]
[ahah. this isn't really how he wanted to bring itsuki but... well, it's alright. they can go see the actual sea when it's beautiful and calm. buzen will lean in to briefly press a kiss to itsuki's temple.]
... let's go to sleep. I'll see you soon.
[humming under his breath - ] Ororon, ororon, ororonbai.
[by the sea... itsuki murmurs a soft 'good night' before he closes his eyes, the cadence of buzen's voice carrying him off to sleep,
ororon, ororon, ororonbai...
he never knows how long it takes, that interval between falling asleep and appearing in a dream, but he waits patiently nonetheless in his dreamscape, made small after he released all the other dreamers.
there's only one dreamer he's interested in now, and he senses the change -- the slight give in the boundary that tells him that buzen's asleep too. he puts his hand out, lets the imaginary door swing open, and steps on through.
sometimes, the dream is already there for him to see. other times, he needs to prod it into existence with the help of the dreamer. he's not sure which one this one will be.
it depends on whether or not buzen will remember that it's a dream, or if he'll be caught by the memory... either way, Itsuki makes no attempt to hide. let his presence remind buzen that it's only a dream -- and not a nightmare,]
[If so, I wonder where He was at night? In your dreams, you can meet Him.
the lyrics settle in buzen's memory - and with them, the rest of the scenery sweeps in like the ocean tide. the dream is already churning when itsuki is there. a castle by the sea. people dressed in white. the scent of the ocean spray and - blood. though at least for now, it is only old, dry blood that stains the castle's walls and floors. a battle happened here.
and a battle will be happening here.
some of the people dressed in white are on their knees, praying. others are scrambling for weapons, for ways to defend themselves. already some begin to cry and plead - women and children included because this war does not discriminate. their faces are already gaunt, a little hollow from the lack of food.
there is only one thing that will tide them over now. their murmurs of 'paraiso' - their paradise.
the resounding echo of a war horn cuts through everything and only then will itsuki be able to find buzen if he looks over the castle precipice - that familiar uniform of green alongside another. matsui at his side, eyes wide and terrified. buzen's own expression fixed only on him, then forward. he doesn't quite catch sight of itsuki just yet - he has only the mission.
and as the siege begins, those Christians and peasants in white painting the castle again with a fresh coat of blood, it becomes increasingly clear: the mission is a slaughter.]
[Itsuki has seen death before. At both his hands and others'. Some of them violent, but most of them peaceful. Kazuha slipping away, his dreamers finally succumbing, clients with knives in their bellies, men dying in his embrace... But each death was separate from the other.
He's never seen so many happen all at once.
...There's so many people. Is this what war is?]
...! Buzen...
[it's not hard to pick out Buzen and Matsui from the sea of white and red below. Itsuki looks over the precipice, and then casts a look around for a way to -- what, get down? Approach him? He asked Buzen to show him, without realizing the effect it would really have. He'd thought that he knew everything -- that he'd seen it all.
He made Buzen relive this nightmare.
...The least he can do is not let him suffer alone.
And so, Itsuki does the one thing that Buzen would never want him to do if this was an actual, real mission. He pushes the dream, pulling at it until he's slipping through the crowd of those slaughtering and being slaughtered, running past them so he can get closer to Buzen,]
[the mission is to kill every single person, because that's history.
the members of the shogun cut down peasant after peasant, identifying them through the white of their clothes and the lack of armor. buzen does the same. he cuts down human after human, and he thinks again about how he can't save anyone, because that's not what he's meant to do. maybe swords really are just tools meant for making mistakes.
he forgets that it's a dream, ruled only by his sense of duty. there isn't a single human that matches up against him - though they do separate him from matsui, and that makes him feel all the rigid. he has to find him. he has to -
Buzen!
the call of his name gets him to whirl around, and there is a moment where he seems well and truly struck when he sees itsuki. is this his penance? after he cuts down so many whose names and faces he never truly got to know, is he supposed to cut down the one person he always wanted to protect? is that the mission?
a member of the shogunate seems to have gotten the impression that itsuki is not one of them - not one of their ranks - and moves to cut him down. buzen is faster still, sliding in front of him and raising his left arm so that the soldier's spear only connects with the guard. the sound still rings in the air, but buzen barks as if he's the one giving orders now - ] Stand down!
[and the soldier goes, instead deciding there are more rebels still to kill.
but buzen will look back to itsuki, confused and haunted as he tries to make sense of this. of the memory of the mission and itsuki in a place where he certainly doesn't belong.]
[dreams are so strong. memories even stronger. and that single combination can keep someone trapped indefinitely, even after dawn breaks.
so it's not a surprise that Buzen's so ensnared -- everything is realistic in a dream. the sound of waves lapping against the shore, of blades striking flesh, of the screams and cries of both soldiers and peasants falling against castle stone and sand. this is all from buzen's memory, so not a single thing in it is false.
except for Itsuki, the one anomaly. usually, this is enough to snap the dreamer awake -- seeing itsuki should break the illusion, but it holds fast around them, which tells itsuki just how terrible a memory this is. this is a dream, and buzen is the dreamer.
he looks down at the pure white of his sleepwear, and it takes only a second for it turn a dark inky purple instead, shifting into a modern kimono. a soldier cuts someone down near him and he flinches, but the spray of blood that lashes onto him turns into petals instead -- soft and pink.
another anomaly, something else that doesn't quite fit in.
he can only hope that it works.]
...Buzen. You're not here anymore. You're in a dream.
[Itsuki drifts closer, pitches his voice louder over the sounds of fighting,]
[the shift of his clothes. the flowers. that's right - itsuki can do that because this is his domain. it's a dream, and buzen doesn't have to follow a dream's orders.
he gasps like he's coming up for air after being submerged, maybe after holding his breath in the hope that he wouldn't have to cut down the one person that he always wanted to protect. even now, he doesn't sheath his sword again. it remains in his hand, grip tight, even as his other immediately reaches out to pull itsuki closer to him. his hold is also firm, a little desperate.
it's a dream, but buzen's mind still reads it as a battlefield. sleeping or awake, he doesn't want to let any harm come to itsuki. he angles his body like it'll keep anyone from coming between them, from thinking that they need to take it upon themselves to kill itsuki in buzen's place. he won't allow it.
he keeps his gaze past itsuki's shoulder, watching everyone else. it also makes it easier to hide his expression, as tense and distraught as it is.]
... sorry. I forgot. [that itsuki asked to be brought here. his breathing is still ragged, like he's trying to recover from the fear that engulfed him]
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no subject
it's pretty clear on his face when he just cluelessly holds his hand up in return, pinky extended?]
Promise...?
[sure!]
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he just goes 'hehehe' i hate this man, but he'll curl his pinky around his,]
A pinky promise.
[and he sings the time-honored lines. 'if you tell a lie.... drink one thousand needles....' damn why does this promise go hard]
To look for each other, so I can fall in love with you all over again.
[buzen got locked into the yan route in this universe]
no subject
No lies...? Hmm, I don't think I could handle the needles...
[stop]
But this is easy to tell the truth about, so I'm sure it's fine.
[HE'S BEEN LOCKED INTO YAN ROUTE SINCE THEY FELL IN LOVE IN TWO WEEKS FLAT]
no subject
Itsuki laughs, squeezing Buzen's pinky, and then loosening his hold so he can clasp his hand in his. It's true that promise hasn't changed anything -- hasn't convinced either of them to not feel what they're feeling. He takes heart in it anyway. a promise made is still worth something, even if all the odds are stacked against them.
The odds... his expression sobers a little,]
...Feels like I'm tying you down.
[his yan-adjacent ass realizes this. if itsuki's life will only be a small fraction of buzen's, then it's not fair to keep the rest of him. it's not fair.... and yet..............]
no subject
it's hard for buzen to really get a sense of what itsuki is saying. he's always been as free as the wind, the type to go wherever he wants without looking back. typically he expects others to follow him as they please, his comrades always chasing after his footsteps.
but he looks a little amused when itsuki's expression turns slightly - guilty? buzen can't quite place the emotion, but he leans in to kiss the melancholy off his face anyway]
Good.
[with all the certainty he can muster]
You'll always remind me I have a home to come back to.
[how can he mind being tied to someone who will always welcome him back?]
no subject
buzen gou, the sword so fast he's never been seen, and the sword who'll always chase away his worries.
maybe he should say more now, but -- it's not important. and he doesn't want to confuse buzen, when he'd asked him to be with only him all those weeks ago.]
I love you, Buzen. ...I won't ever regret that.
[he won't regret the promise, no matter what he sees in the future. he'll finally take off buzen's other glove,]
How do you feel? Want to head to bed?
no subject
regardless buzen... relaxes ever so slightly. maybe some part of him was worried about that, even if he hadn't realized. if maybe at some point itsuki would regret choosing him, regret loving him when faced with the truth of everything that buzen carries.
it'd be nice if his words could be true. buzen finds himself a little nervous to hope but... he still does. he leans in to press another kiss to itsuki's mouth like trying to get a taste of his certainty]
Mm, we can. [a beat] Tell me about something good that happened while I was gone, though. Before we fall asleep.
[he'd like to know just one thing that's sweet, before they embark on what buzen considers nothing short of a journey to hell]
no subject
If Buzen wants certainty, then Itsuki will give it to him. he's full to bursting with it, content in knowing that he'll always be buzen's and buzen will always be his. he's putting a pin in future poly and tabling that discussion way off into the future,
for now he kisses Buzen back, laughs into his mouth before pulling back because as much as itsuki's always down for horny, he's just as touch starved too. he wants to hold buzen in his arms when they go to sleep tonight, as if this will somehow help prepare him for the dream they're about to see (IT REALLY WON'T???). for now though, he's happy to fulfill buzen's request]
Hm... I feel like the best thing was you coming home? [he's just so gay...] But let me think...
[itsuki shuffles through the days, immediately discarding all the extremely embarrassing moments of itsuki pining over buzen to anyone who had the patience to listen to him, before remembering,]
I've been telling stories to some of the swords. They're really interested in fairy tales? Like Kuwa -- he likes Jack and the Beanstalk the best. [WONDER WHY...] But a few days ago, I was telling Urashima-kun the story of the little mermaid, and he got really excited. He said he wanted to talk to a mermaid, and asked me the best way to do that.
I said I wasn't sure, but that he should maybe try to leave a message in the ocean for them. [the amusement is very clear in his voice as he continues] And then yesterday -- I found out that he and some of the other swords stole all the clams from the kitchen.
[now he's laughing]
They put notes in every single clam. They said they wanted to throw them into the river so that the mermaids could find them. Apparently, Tsuru-san told them it was the fastest way.
[aka the chaos swords were in the bg enabling all of this to happen, itsuki is Innocent,]
no subject
anyway buzen listens!! he finishes changing into a more casual set of clothes, loose and comfy enough for sleep. he stretches out as he listens to itsuki's story, lets the laugh get startled out of him, fond and disbelieving even though he can totally imagine this. immediately his own hand will reach for itsuki's once he's done, tugging him out of the room and headed for their shared room....
if he dreams of paraiso, he would simply like to put as much distance between him and matsui as possible,]
Pffhaha, you're really teaching them a lot!! If they haven't thrown the clams yet, we should go. I want to write a message too! Are mermaids fast, do you think?
[you IDIOT you FOOL don't just FALL FOR THE SAME CHAOS AS SOON AS YOU'RE HOME]
no subject
Itsuki laughs too, and it'd sound disbelieving if he didn't already love and accept the fact that buzen has 8 int,]
They're probably just as fast as our goldfish. [THEIR GOLDFISH CHILDREN, IKI AND KAZE] Do you think you could keep up even underwater?
[he'll change into pajammies once they get to their room, removing his pin and carefully placing it on the desk]
no subject
anyway buzen will just go to set up the futon automatically, stretching out again before going to sit on it, adjusting the blankets.
and then automatically holding his arms out for itsuki. cuddle? cuddle???]
Hmmm... I don't know, but I'd try. I'm not meant for water travel, but there's no reason why I can't learn!
no subject
itsuki immediately snuggles into Buzen's arms. cuddle!! cuddle!!!]
Just don't spend too much time learning. I would hate it if a mermaid tried to steal you from me.
[how fcking funny would it be if itsuki was jealous of FICTIONAL CREATURES, but he's not that far gone ig,]
no subject
[probably... he's thinking about it now. but he'll cuddle itsuki into his arms even as he goes to fall back against the futon, adjusting the blankets to cover them both...
he presses a kiss to itsuki's forehead now, thoughtful]
... are you sure about this, Suki? That you want to see a mission...
no subject
I am.
[even though he's loath to when buzen just came back]
...I want to see the things you've seen. If it gets to be too much... I'll immediately stop the dream.
no subject
buzen will just softly hum at that, his fingers automatically running through itsuki's hair even as he watches his expression.]
... okay. Make sure you do.
[ . . . ]
Makes me think of a lullaby, actually.
no subject
it really has been a while since buzen's slept at his side. it isn't as if he was totally bereft without him, not with the gous to keep him company.
...still, the gous aren't buzen. and having buzen here now reinforces that fact,]
A lullaby?
no subject
[softly confirming, even as he runs his fingers through itsuki's hair on repeat - it's hard to say whether it's to soothe itsuki, or for buzen to just have an excuse to keep touching him.
to remember the softness of this moment even as memories begin to creep into the back of his mind]
Under the sunbeams in the morning,
In the warmth of the afternoon,
I wonder if the Lord Jesus was with me then?
If so, I wonder where He was at night?
In your dreams, you can meet Him.
Ororon, ororon, ororonbai.
[his voice is steady as he recalls that song that emosaku would sing to himself, lost in his thoughts and grief after amakusa shirou was killed in front of him. the comfort that thinking of his heaven would bring.
buzen never sang this lullaby to meteion. it always felt just a little too sad. still he brings his hand to cup itsuki's cheek and lets his thumb run lightly underneath his eye]
Ah, dry your nightly tears and fall back asleep.
Ororon, ororon, ororonbai.
no subject
itsuki's heard many lullabies, thanks to the nature of his job, but this one stands out. it's not about a child or romance, or missing a loved one. this one is soft enough to lull him to sleep. there's something in buzen's voice -- as steady as it is -- that makes him feel pensive. his eyes blink closed at the touch of his thumb, then blink back open, soft]
...Where is that from?
no subject
Shimabara, by the sea.
[ahah. this isn't really how he wanted to bring itsuki but... well, it's alright. they can go see the actual sea when it's beautiful and calm. buzen will lean in to briefly press a kiss to itsuki's temple.]
... let's go to sleep. I'll see you soon.
[humming under his breath - ] Ororon, ororon, ororonbai.
no subject
ororon, ororon, ororonbai...
he never knows how long it takes, that interval between falling asleep and appearing in a dream, but he waits patiently nonetheless in his dreamscape, made small after he released all the other dreamers.
there's only one dreamer he's interested in now, and he senses the change -- the slight give in the boundary that tells him that buzen's asleep too. he puts his hand out, lets the imaginary door swing open, and steps on through.
sometimes, the dream is already there for him to see. other times, he needs to prod it into existence with the help of the dreamer. he's not sure which one this one will be.
it depends on whether or not buzen will remember that it's a dream, or if he'll be caught by the memory... either way, Itsuki makes no attempt to hide. let his presence remind buzen that it's only a dream -- and not a nightmare,]
no subject
In your dreams, you can meet Him.
the lyrics settle in buzen's memory - and with them, the rest of the scenery sweeps in like the ocean tide. the dream is already churning when itsuki is there. a castle by the sea. people dressed in white. the scent of the ocean spray and - blood. though at least for now, it is only old, dry blood that stains the castle's walls and floors. a battle happened here.
and a battle will be happening here.
some of the people dressed in white are on their knees, praying. others are scrambling for weapons, for ways to defend themselves. already some begin to cry and plead - women and children included because this war does not discriminate. their faces are already gaunt, a little hollow from the lack of food.
there is only one thing that will tide them over now. their murmurs of 'paraiso' - their paradise.
the resounding echo of a war horn cuts through everything and only then will itsuki be able to find buzen if he looks over the castle precipice - that familiar uniform of green alongside another. matsui at his side, eyes wide and terrified. buzen's own expression fixed only on him, then forward. he doesn't quite catch sight of itsuki just yet - he has only the mission.
and as the siege begins, those Christians and peasants in white painting the castle again with a fresh coat of blood, it becomes increasingly clear: the mission is a slaughter.]
no subject
He's never seen so many happen all at once.
...There's so many people. Is this what war is?]
...! Buzen...
[it's not hard to pick out Buzen and Matsui from the sea of white and red below. Itsuki looks over the precipice, and then casts a look around for a way to -- what, get down? Approach him? He asked Buzen to show him, without realizing the effect it would really have. He'd thought that he knew everything -- that he'd seen it all.
He made Buzen relive this nightmare.
...The least he can do is not let him suffer alone.
And so, Itsuki does the one thing that Buzen would never want him to do if this was an actual, real mission. He pushes the dream, pulling at it until he's slipping through the crowd of those slaughtering and being slaughtered, running past them so he can get closer to Buzen,]
-- Buzen!
no subject
the members of the shogun cut down peasant after peasant, identifying them through the white of their clothes and the lack of armor. buzen does the same. he cuts down human after human, and he thinks again about how he can't save anyone, because that's not what he's meant to do. maybe swords really are just tools meant for making mistakes.
he forgets that it's a dream, ruled only by his sense of duty. there isn't a single human that matches up against him - though they do separate him from matsui, and that makes him feel all the rigid. he has to find him. he has to -
Buzen!
the call of his name gets him to whirl around, and there is a moment where he seems well and truly struck when he sees itsuki. is this his penance? after he cuts down so many whose names and faces he never truly got to know, is he supposed to cut down the one person he always wanted to protect? is that the mission?
a member of the shogunate seems to have gotten the impression that itsuki is not one of them - not one of their ranks - and moves to cut him down. buzen is faster still, sliding in front of him and raising his left arm so that the soldier's spear only connects with the guard. the sound still rings in the air, but buzen barks as if he's the one giving orders now - ] Stand down!
[and the soldier goes, instead deciding there are more rebels still to kill.
but buzen will look back to itsuki, confused and haunted as he tries to make sense of this. of the memory of the mission and itsuki in a place where he certainly doesn't belong.]
What are you.... I don't want to...
[kill you too.]
no subject
so it's not a surprise that Buzen's so ensnared -- everything is realistic in a dream. the sound of waves lapping against the shore, of blades striking flesh, of the screams and cries of both soldiers and peasants falling against castle stone and sand. this is all from buzen's memory, so not a single thing in it is false.
except for Itsuki, the one anomaly. usually, this is enough to snap the dreamer awake -- seeing itsuki should break the illusion, but it holds fast around them, which tells itsuki just how terrible a memory this is. this is a dream, and buzen is the dreamer.
he looks down at the pure white of his sleepwear, and it takes only a second for it turn a dark inky purple instead, shifting into a modern kimono. a soldier cuts someone down near him and he flinches, but the spray of blood that lashes onto him turns into petals instead -- soft and pink.
another anomaly, something else that doesn't quite fit in.
he can only hope that it works.]
...Buzen. You're not here anymore. You're in a dream.
[Itsuki drifts closer, pitches his voice louder over the sounds of fighting,]
...I'm the one who brought you here, remember?
no subject
he gasps like he's coming up for air after being submerged, maybe after holding his breath in the hope that he wouldn't have to cut down the one person that he always wanted to protect. even now, he doesn't sheath his sword again. it remains in his hand, grip tight, even as his other immediately reaches out to pull itsuki closer to him. his hold is also firm, a little desperate.
it's a dream, but buzen's mind still reads it as a battlefield. sleeping or awake, he doesn't want to let any harm come to itsuki. he angles his body like it'll keep anyone from coming between them, from thinking that they need to take it upon themselves to kill itsuki in buzen's place. he won't allow it.
he keeps his gaze past itsuki's shoulder, watching everyone else. it also makes it easier to hide his expression, as tense and distraught as it is.]
... sorry. I forgot. [that itsuki asked to be brought here. his breathing is still ragged, like he's trying to recover from the fear that engulfed him]
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