bakerstreet | Love on an Adventure

Love on an Adventure

LOVE ON AN ADVENTURE meme

Lucky you. For a while, you get to eschew a normal life and see life past your door; you're going on a quest! It could be for personal reasons, for fun, for profit, or to save the world as you know it. In all likelihood, it's the latter, given the natural order of things, but hopefully it's not. Whatever the case may be, you won't be going it alone, however. Whether it's just you and a partner or a true fellowship, you've got people to back you up. You may not all start out as the best of friends, that's true - still, the fires of potential life or death scenarios or the threat of losing your booty draw you closer together, and a friendship forms.

With one member of your party, more than friendship grows between you.

But wait, you have to defeat the dark lord, find the oldest wand, fight evil by moonlight, create a giant robot, or any other number of tasks. There's no time for this sort of nonsense! Actually, you may push them away because of the mission or due to past wounds that tie into said mission. Maybe, though, you can steal moments to get closer, let a romance blossom...or more.

HOW to PLAY

Comment with your character, preferences, and any other info - ie, keep it PG, etc.
Even though I used a fantasy picture, don't feel constrained! In Harry Potter, they have to find a wand, in Supernatural, the Colt, in Avatar, they have to fight the Fire Lord, etc.
Feel free to AU your character or include information about them.
Reply to others.

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[Hisoka's words surprise him a little - but only because of how private the setting is. He smiles, and pets Fuzzy's fur a little more slowly - not that Fuzzy was awake to appreciate it.]

It's alright. Welcome. Many others in the family will want to get to know you, but you don't have to tell them anything if you don't want to. We're here to support each other, even if that means just being a quiet pillar.

[Realizing something important, Mizuki blanches a little, worried.]

Ah. Please be aware that Ribsteez is considered a sort of gang war, so the police may attempt to raid if we're in the middle of a fight. Thankfully, the cops rarely bother to practice their skills, so their aim is really bad. Just... beware Akushima. You'll know him when you hear him.

But if you ever see anyone wearing kimono - they're Benishigure. They're allies, lead by Koujaku. They'll help you too if you ask them. Koujaku wears a red kimono, has a sword, and he has a sparrow allmate named Beni. He's a bit abrasive, though.

[Reaching a hand out towards Hisoka, he stops himself short of touching him, and withdraws his hand.]

...Ah, sorry, I had an impulse to ruffle your hair.

[Sheepish. Hisoka looks like someone he wants to protect. And... honestly, their eyes are a very similar green color. He can only hope that whatever has drawn Hisoka to him, that he can help with. Somehow. In a way, it's sad, he feels. Sad that people with such tough times look to a gang for support. That they don't get the support they need from their family.

[But there's strength in choosing your family, too.]

If we ever don't fulfill the needs you require, you are always free to leave. By the same token, you're free to return.

[He didn't plan to be in the middle of fights but even if he were, even if he were shot, he would be fine. You couldn't kill the dead, after all, even if the bullet would hurt.

No, more than the bullet, he was afraid of that hand reaching for him. Hisoka really didn't want to feel the other's emotions any stronger than he already was. There was real fear there, real trauma. He can't help himself, the way he backs up when the hand approaches.

And then it stops short, and he internally curses himself for the gesture. If he had waited, it wouldn't have happened.

He looks away, not acknowledging the movement from himself.]

That's all there is? I'm in?

[Seeing someone back away so suddenly hurts, and even in the physical sense. Whatever was done to Hisoka in the past, he can't help but feel for him. He already knows now not to reach out for him unless it's an absolute necessity. That only worsens the hurt, but it's not his call to make.

[He forces a reassuring smile, not wanting Hisoka to think that his feelings were hurt by something that was Mizuki's own fault to instigate without permission. He's usually better about reading other people, rather than letting his own selfish impulses get the better of him. ]

Yeah. That's it. If you have any further questions, you can ask me, or anyone else.

[It really wasn't personal, but Mizuki couldn't know that. As an empath, Hiroka was in tune with emotions regardless of touch, but when there was physical connection, he felt it as strongly as the host did. Combined with his own, it was too much. So, it was best not to touch.

He's still looking away, aware that such an action caused assumptions to be made in other minds, but he had no other excuse for it. He couldn't come out and admit his ability. Usually, that only made it worse.]

I do have more questions. You said something about an Oval tower. What did you mean?

...Ah, right, unless you're from this island, you wouldn't really know except through the TV.

[Gesturing for Hisoka to sit, Mizuki draws a chair up from his small dining table and sits down, setting Fuzzy down on his lap in order to reactivate and continue to pet him.]

Oval Tower is what used to stand in the middle of the pleasure center, Platinum Jail. Platinum Jail was created by a man named Toue. He was using it to create methods to control the minds of those on this island. It was later toppled from the inside by various means. Mostly explosives. As far as anyone could tell, there was only one casualty: Toue himself.

This is just what I heard from my friends, because I was in a coma caused by these mind-control methods. I didn't wake up until a few months ago, so you'd have to ask them for first-hand knowledge.

But, from what they told me, and from what I experienced, Toue was using flashing, colored lights, images, modulated voices and music, and... even tattoos, to sway the mind. Anything that the human body could perceive was used.

[Forcibly, Mizuki tries to shut out his own memories. Of being forced to take Morphine's tag art on his neck. He was another experiment, is what it all boiled down to.]

...Anyway, it's really strange, and kind of unbelievable, and some details aren't mine to tell.

[...He's getting chills just remembering the singing. He was different. He could hear the music and remember it because his mind had taken a bit longer to bend than most.]

Edited 2015-10-15 08:38 (UTC)

[In reality, Hisoka knows. He knows what Mizuki has been through, why he had almost passed over, why he hadn't, why he almost had, and both and forth. It had been a long, tiring process for him and still, his name was so unsure on the books.

But, this Hisoka shouldn't know. So, if he didn't get an explanation and something slipped later, it would only look weird. Now, he didn't have to pretend to be in the dark.]

I'm sorry. Looking at you, I wouldn't have known. [Which was true enough. He could tell by feeling his energy, but that wasn't the same thing, not really.

...Being around this guy was going to be tiring. Did these triggers come out normally, or was it because he was actively asking.]

It's fine. I just thought it was pertinent for you to know, since it's fairly common knowledge in the residential district.

[The smile he flashes Hisoka is a little tired.]

I'm here, I'm alive, and I'm relatively in one piece. It's more than I could have asked for in the same situation.

I still have a lot of work to do to try and fix the broken pieces... but I know I can do it.

[For his own sake, he strongly believes that. Even if it won't ever be perfect again, he has to at least try to return to normal in all aspects.]

[You're talking to a Shinigami; are you really so sure of your state? Would knowing that change how you felt?

That was why they had to be undercover. Even knowing they were being visited by a Shinigami would be enough to make some people do crazy things. People like Mizuki was most at risk.]

Maybe I can help. [Probably not, but while he was here, that would be his role. Until they had determined something about what was going on around there, he had to play it. Besides, he doesn't wish the other guy ill.

No, maybe he reminded him enough of someone to wish him well.]

That's what Rib gangs do, right? You said they were family.

[For that, Mizuki looks at Hisoka in shock, his every thought grinding to a halt. Hisoka.. helping him? He doesn't want to trouble him - Hisoka is (visibly) younger than him. It's not his job to try to help a grown-ass man with his mental troubles.

[Mizuki can't help but look torn at the mere suggestion, once it sinks in.]

We are family....

[He sighs and wonders how to convey what's ailing him still. What pieces are still broken at his feet, that cut him when he tries to fix what's wrong.]

I still have some psychological trouble and trauma. I have nightmares, still, of what was done to me. And from being comatose and having to rebuild my own mind from the inside without help.

I have irrational fears that I didn't have before, and sometimes my body doesn't do what it's supposed to. There's a disconnect between what I feel and what my body, well, doesn't do.

[He frowns somewhat, and he's careful to use the most gentle tone he has, so that Hisoka, hopefully, doesn't take his words as an insult.]

But, surely you have your own troubles, your own demons. It's not your job to try to fix mine.

[Smiles were a strange thing for Hisoka. They were the most told lie, the most common mask people used. It wasn't effective against him, not when he could feel what was beneath, but still they smiled. Sometimes, it wasn't with bad intentions, but he wished they would just be honest instead.

Revenge isn't an option for Mizuki. The guy who broke his brain was supposedly a friend it seemed. Hisoka was hunting his own boogeyman down, but the other man had forgiven his. It had been an accident, it seems.

That was fair. Sometimes good people did bad things.]

My own demons are in the past. [A lie; he was living, breathing, probably murdering right that second.] If you want to be my family, don't underestimate me. I'm stronger than I look; you shouldn't judge everything by age.

[Even though Aoba had accidentally triggered the reaction, it wasn't Aoba's fault that the reaction was planted there to begin with. So, all of the blame was on Toue for that. And... for the tattooist that he had so admired.]

It's... it's not that. Entirely. Some of my problem... isn't for a minor's ears.

--Ugh, what am I saying.

[No way in hell is he going to say a peep further about his erectile dysfunction. It wasn't a problem with the plumbing, either. Or even hormones.]

...It's hard enough just saying that much.

[Frowning a little, Mizuki sighs and scrubs his face.]

What a fine example I'm showing right now. I'm sorry.

[For looking and feeling so weak. What kind of leader am I. Hisoka's new - he shouldn't be exposed to all of this. It's not his problem, it's mine. Mine. I'd ask Aoba to try and fix me but he's too busy with Ren and...

[Frustration burns in him. He's not sure what to do with it, but it's no one's fault but his.]

[A minor. No matter how old he got, he would always look like a kid. It really was an annoyance. Tsuzuki was always taken seriously despite acting much younger than Hisoka himself did.

But it's a secondary annoyance most of the time.] I'm 18. Age really isn't important, you can't use it to judge somebody, but I am 18. Even if I look like this, it would be a mistake to treat me like a kid. The people who made me want to come here didn't, so you shouldn't either.

[That was true enough. Those at the office sent him on dangerous missions all the time, they knew his real age. Yes, admittedly, they still had the occasional poke, but overall, they trusted him to do his job.

Wow, the guy really felt like he had hit a brick wall, didn't he? The frustration was coming off of him in waves.]

I know how frustrating it can be, not having someone to turn to. Maybe someone new is what you needed for that; I didn't know you before, so my only judgment can be of the Mizuki that's in front of me.

...Ah.

[Chastised, Mizuki rubs his face again. He'd mistaken Hisoka for about seventeen, and eighteen wasn't much different, but still, the age of majority was twenty these days. It's the number AND the age difference of nearly ten years.]

It's not... that you're a kid. But I mean...

I'm sorry.

[Still frustrated, the feeling abates slightly in lieu of defeat.]

I'm not used to letting anyone in this close. I feel like a good chunk of me just wants to sabotage it. I've been like this even before my mind was shattered. Ever since I was ten or so, not trusting anyone with my troubles has been my normal.

It feels uncomfortable to bring them to light.

[Sadly, he would have been happy to have been mistaken for 17 instead of the 16 year old he had died as. It was a year older!

In truth, he was older, but no one would believe he was in his twenties; 18 was usually the best he could get by with and even that was normally called out.

So, he did the best he could do.]

I'm good at reading people. [That was an understatement; he was as aware of what Mizuki was feeling as Mizuki was. That frustration, that doubt, all of it poured into him. He could handle it around one person with limited physical contact and then, it was a useful skill.]

You're talking easily to me. [And mostly with honest feelings.] That must mean a part of you trusts me. If you don't sabotage it, then maybe I can be of more help to you than you know.

[Feeling aware that he is, indeed, speaking closer and closer to the heart of the matter, Mizuki feels the urge to shut Hisoka out. He sighs, and fights it.]

'Mizuki, the time.... Shall I retrieve it for you?' [Fuzzy perks up a bit, displaying one transparent window in the air for Mizuki to see the current time. When Mizuki nods, Fuzzy closes it and hops down onto the floor, making his way into the open bedroom to retrieve something.]

...

[Standing up, Mizuki gets up in order to pour himself a glass of water, and Fuzzy hops up onto the table in order to set a bottle of pills onto it. Antidepressants. He pulls one pill out, and swallows it with water. There's a brief sensation of relief that goes through him, though he knows it's only a placebo effect. The medication is still in his system - it's just at the tail end of its half-life hours.]

...Why do you want to help me so badly? I mean, I know family is one thing, but you barely know me, too.

[Because I need to get close enough to you to see if your extended like was from supernatural forces or from your own doing.

That wasn't really an answer he could give. Hisoka wasn't the overly helpful type by nature, he didn't really fully trust in overly helpful natures. But, he had seen a better side of people and Mizuki did kind of remind him of Tsuzuki. They all had their best friends, didn't they? People they'd go to stupid lengths for.]

I've seen what happens to hurt people who don't get help. They do stupid things. [His eyes went to the pills.] It looks like you are getting some, but I can already tell it's not enough. Maybe I don't want to see someone else lose themselves to that.

I'm fi--

[Stopping short, Mizuki sighs, still a bit frustrated, but genuinely wanting to be honest.]

I'm a lot better than I was before taking these. I take them to lessen the severity of my panic attacks, and they're doing well at that. I can still function instead of shutting down. I can think through it and do something to stop it before it gets worse.

I literally can't afford any more professional help. Because the island is what it is - even with the newly-opened ports and airports, just this is the maximum limit of what I can take on in terms of debt without constantly being in the red.

It sucks, but that's life. Sometimes you have to make due with what you have. This medicine does a good chunk of good for me. If I have to... I can lean on some friends if it's too hard to show most that weakness.

[Mizuki's gaze is stern as he regards Hisoka, unable and unwilling to hide his resolve.]

But I'm not giving in. Not ever.

[He was pulling back, Hisoka had to stop him.

Still in his persona, he crossed his hands over one another and bowed at the waist; he was raised in a traditional Japanese family, he had the ability to be polite.]

I pushed, I'm sorry. I realize we just met so I didn't have the right to go so far. If I didn't push my boundaries too much, I'd still like to join.

[It seemed he had been willing to talk, only to pull back at the minute. It would take more time to get close to him, it seemed. That was fine, that was what he had assumed when they had taken the mission.

He wonders if Tsuzuki had made contact with Aoba yet.]

[Clicking his tongue at that, Mizuki lifted up Fuzzy to place him back onto his shoulder.]

...It's fi--

[There that is again.]

I'm irritated, but this topic and you joining Dry Juice are separate things. I'm not going to hang one over the other.

Stay if you want to stay, leave if you want to leave. It's your call.

[Unaware that there was more at work than something so strange, Mizuki had no idea that there was someone going after Aoba. It wasn't hard to contact Aoba - he was amicable and friendly enough. But no doubt he'd get in touch with Mizuki if Aoba smelled something off, or heard something that directly related to his friend.

[Mizuki picked up his pill bottle and started to head further into his apartment, then stopped, because walking away while talking is rude to him.]

I gotta put this away, and then get back to work. After my shift, I can guide you around the territory lines and introduce you to the family. It's only a few hours more, but if you want to wait here or down at the bar, you can.

[They weren't out to hurt anybody. People they took were really already dead, walking around as nothing but puppets. Aoba himself still had some time left so there was no need to worry about taking him. Mizuki himself was the one they were keeping an eye on and even he wasn't in danger from them. If something supernatural was keeping him alive, then his time was up anyway.

It really did seem like he was hanging from a thread.

Hisoka looks at his hands; really, it's going to be good to get a break from the other man. His emotions were a strain to handle.]

Here, if that's okay. I'm not a thief or anything, so I won't take anything. It's just the crowd downstairs.

Sure. That's fine.

[Putting his medicine away, Mizuki then set Fuzzy on the table and headed downstairs without a word.

[Fuzzy merely started watching Hisoka, his tail idly swishing. Fortunately, the allmate's emotions were bland at best, compared to a human's.]

"If you get bored at all while resting, Mizuki told me that you are welcome to to ask me to boot up the internet for you."

[Allmates were strange to be around; he didn't feel anything from them. Still, he supposed they could do nothing but tell the truth anyway.]

I made him angry, didn't I? [He had to be careful. Anything he did that would be seen as suspicious would end up told to Mizuki.] You know him. Is there anything I can do to make it up to him? I don't want to start this off on the wrong foot.

[At that, Fuzzy tilted his head in consideration.]

"Mizuki tries to be truthful in his words lately, so it is best to consider them at face value. You irritated him by your somewhat intrusive questioning and the anxiousness that cropped up in his brain waves, but he will calm down soon enough."

[He sat a little more comfortably, curling his tail around himself. He felt a dim sense of comfort or discomfort, but that was all.]

"However, pressuring him further about this matter is ill-advised. I advise you to be more patient with him. Furthermore, if you wish to find more information concerning Oval Tower and Toue's plot to brainwash the whole world, I don't think it's wise to keep asking Mizuki.

"He already has trouble enough from having his mind destroyed almost completely in one instant. It would be better for his mental health if you acquired your information elsewhere. If finding and asking Aoba isn't feasible, I believe Noiz of Ruff Rabbit is still in the area; you could pay him for the information. Admittedly, it isn't cheap, but those two are your best bets for the information.

"...This is my warning to you. Looking out for Mizuki is my priority function. This includes protecting him from his own nature."

Edited (I typoed the name.) 2015-10-19 02:25 (UTC)

Hm.

[Admittedly, it had gotten further than he normally would have tried to take it, even with his impatience. Mizuki had started talking and when they started it themselves, it was usually best to encourage. With trauma, though, he'd often seen enough people seeming fine only to hit brick walls.

Slower, then. That was what he'd expected when he came into this. Noiz from Ruff Rabbit. He mentally filed the name. Depending on who finished or got the first break, they could check him out but really, they already knew what had happened. Morphine.]

You don't have to protect him from me, I'm not an enemy. A guy has the right to his past, so I won't push.

[That's probably a lie. Hisoka is better at pushing than leading, but that's because he's too earnest in his interactions to be good at mind games.]

Instead, I don't know very much about Allmates. Can you tell me more?

[At that, Fuzzy's ears twitched at the suggestion that he didn't need to protect Mizuki from Hisoka. He already had enough trouble helping Mizuki with himself. Still, at the question about Allmates, he nodded, and at once pulled up many transparent windows regarding them.]

"We were created some odd ten or so years ago when Toue took over part of Midorijima. We are composed mainly of the same parts one would find in a desktop or laptop computer, with, well, particular modifications."

[Fuzzy flicked his tail.]

"Some of us Allmates are treated as pets more than the tools that we are. For those who can't afford allergy medication to cats or dogs, we are a cheaper-in-the-long-run venue for those who want a pet but cannot. We have a built-in GPS as well as have access to the internet. To an extent, we can also act on our own, but our desires are not inherently ours, but based on the priority trees in our coding."

[A beat, and he tilted his head.]

"That is the general overview. Is there something in particular that you wish to know?"

Love on an Adventure

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My apologies for the wait! I've been eyes-deep in a Fire Emblem: RD challenge run.