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[goei]

@Izou

manslayer

---

ABOUT ME

The strongest, most genius swordsman to ever haunt the streets of Kyoto! That's me! So you better think twice before crossing me, ya hear?

NOTE

As long as you don't get in my way I won't kill you, probably.

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End of Week 6 Confrontation

[vogelfrei]

[ McGillis had intentionally thrown Izou a bone, so he did expect to be found out sooner or later. He'd wanted that. To crush everything nice and gentle he accidentally built last week beneath his heels like glass and prove to himself once more that alone is how he should be.

But he hadn't expected Izou to show up on his doorstep within the hour. He underestimated the man.

When McGillis opens up, it's with an easy smile that does not show that anything is wrong. ]

Yes? Did you need me for something?

[goei]

[Izou's been in a generally good mood since recovering from his palace, even if he's been as shouty as ever. He'd even visibly seemed more mentally refreshed and less like a grungy murderer that lurks in dark alleys.

But now, the light in his eyes has dimmed once again. Hizen hangs heavily at his hip, still sheathed if only for now.]

I'm just answering yer summons, ain't I?

[He will at least give McGillis a chance to address the accusation. Go on, deny it.]

[vogelfrei]

[ McGillis had really only feigned innocence on the off chance that Izou had dropped by through sheer coincidence - it would be quite unfashionable to give himself away when he hasn't even been accused yet.

But since Izou is throwing the glove down instantly, McGillis has no more reason to pretend. ]

And so timely, too. I'm positively surprised.

[ He's still smiling but... well, there's a darker note to it now. It makes him look like a predator.

His gun is holstered at his side, under a light suit jacket. ]

[goei]

[It's unfortunate that McGillis doesn't have a roommate, because it means there's no reason for him to hold back. Lots of people here seem to be under the impression that Izou is mostly bark and not that much bite. That irritates him a bit.

But more than that, McGillis has always struck him as someone who's never not been staring down at the rest of society. He'd started to think maybe this was wrong... but then he had to go say all that.

And well, it was Manslayer Izou's job to cut down men who thought they were too rich and powerful to be defied. Normally only ones he'd been assigned to do, but doesn't everyone want him to think more for himself?]

Underestimating me's the last mistake you'll ever make.

[And he draws on McGillis, blade missing his target by a hair's breadth. (9)]

[vogelfrei]

[ McGillis had been braced for the incoming attack, and true to expectation Izou's speed and form are impressive. Being inside the room while Izou is advancing at him from the door gives McGillis a further disadvantage. There might be things to throw or put between them, but there's nowhere to properly evade to. Any way you look at it, McGillis is in a sticky situation.

No surprise then that he'd draw his gun and fire.

The bullet misses Izou entirely, whirring past his shoulder and lodging loudly in a wall. (And someone who knows McGillis might think this very odd, because he's an impeccable shot.)

McGillis doesn't look fazed by his near miss though. The gun stays up, but he's not shooting again yet. ]

The last thing I ever did was try to wipe Gaelio's tears and grovel for his foolish forgiveness. The last mistake I made was betting on losing wolves. Even if you kill me here, it won't be the death that matters.

[after carnage but before palaces]

[beathollow]

( things have surely been a bit... tense in the room. but eventually- )

Izou?

[goei]

[Very tense. Izou didn't even want to sleep in his bed because he could tell she was not happy about The Situation. At least for once the awkward bunk bed situation is nice because it means they don't have to look at eachother and also she doesn't have to see him clean his sword which he is doing since... It's been used.]

... Mm? What's up?

[beathollow]

... I just... wanted to check on you. Do you need anything...?

[goei]

'M fine. Besides I ain't gonna ask you to get me something when yer mad at me.

[HE MAY BE STUPID BUT HE CAN AT LEAST TELL THAT MUCH.]

[beathollow]

I am upset. But I still care.

[argenti palace breaktime before the dinner]

[beathollow]

( the worst thing about the palaces is trying to clean up afterwards. between limited stalls, limited hot water and the general exhaustion, it's going to take a while before they're all going to be ready to go.

mafuyu got a bit lucky, given that there's fewer girls on the roster of this palace, so when izou comes in from his own turn, she's...



laying on her side, curled, up, clutching where he'd stabbed her earlier. she only got mostly healed, after all. )

[goei]

[OUGH. So much had happened he'd honestly sort of forgot about it, which then makes him feel worse because obviously it's easier to forget when you're not the one being stabbed. Or also, used to being stabbed. He also forgot Sayaka stabbed him until now but also a knife stab isn't as bad and he's been stabbed way more than Mafuyu surely.]

Mafuyu...
[His voice is soft and hoarse, the way it gets when he's feeling genuinely bad. He glances around, before he remembers... There was that one thing that weird cat gave him... Mafuyu would probably like it. He grabs the apple scented rabbit and places it next to her]

Don't make up fer how bad I screwed up, but you should take it anyway.

[beathollow]

( mafuyu shifts, blinking slowly as she rolls onto her back and...


immediately sits up faster than she wants to, the passive sadness of unfamiliar pain washed over completely with disbelief. )

... Where- no, it was Dawn, wasn't it?

( she accepts it gingerly. she knows this rabbit. she stares, vision blurring a bit- it used to be so much bigger, didn't it? )

... This was mine, when I was little... Mom threw it away...

( she hugs it close, blinking back tears. )

It still smells like the apple spray I used-

[goei]

[Izou blinks]

No kidding? I just thought it seems like somethin' you'd like.

[Wait]

The hell'd yer mom toss it for? Ain't like it's super beat up or nothing.

[HE HAS A VAGUE MEMORY OF HER SAYING SOMETHING ELSE ODD ABOUT HER MOM PREVIOUSLY ACTUALLY.]

[beathollow]

I... um.

... You're going to get mad.

( ... not... a great way to start that, actually! even if it's super true! )

Mom always... just. Goes through my room, and- "cleans". She'll throw away things I don't need, or things I outgrew, usually while I'm at school.

... She... does it a lot. When I- ( ... proved to be an early bloomer. ) When I was reaching middle school, she decided I didn't need my toys and storybooks anymore. So that I could do more mature things.

Week 9, the day after Mafuyu's Palace!

[vogelfrei]

[ Mafuyu's palace ended well and the poor girl has been safely returned to her friends, boyfriend and room. The rest of them have been returned to their simple daily lives in Sunset City. Daily lives one could always begin getting used to, if it wasn't for the insistent meddling of various gods. Currently, the meddling is taking the shape of nightmares, leaving McGillis... extremely sleep deprived. Which is fine.

He'll still go to practice at the theater and distract himself through that. And after... Well, there's a whole empty evening to fill, and there's somebody who'd been wanting to see more of him. McGillis, unwilling to go to just go rest, takes out his phone. ]

Where are you right now?

[goei]

Excel Arcade
It's in Carnation Court

[vogelfrei]

[ That's... so anachronistic. Not that everything they're doing here isn't anachronistic, but come on. You're an ancient swordsman, you can't be at the arcade.

That said. ]

Stay there, I'm coming to pick you up.

[ For what nefarious purposes? He's not saying, but he is on his way. ]

[goei]

Okay but I ain't leaving until I beat my high score

[WHY SHOULDN'T HE TAKE ADVANTAGES OF THE FRUITS THE MODERN WORLD HAS TO OFFER HERE!!!]

[vogelfrei]

[ There is no real reason Izou wouldn't be obsessed with high scores at the arcade, but. Still. ]

Surely outdoing yourself is not that hard a task for a genius.

[ Texting from the cab he grabbed to go there. ]

early october??

[beathollow]

( when izou comes in, mafuyu's sitting on her bed staring at something on the coffee table- a familiar hat, and a shinsengumi haori. )

--Oh! Welcome back.

[goei]

[A few months ago, Izou would have reflexively flown into a rage at the mere sight of the hat, at the suggestion that it's innately tied to him so much that it'd be brought here by the dumb cat.

Now he just frowns and actively chooses to ignore it as he walks over to point at the haori instead. He's hoping Mafuyu won't have seen Ryouma wearing it in whatever memories they got flashed in his palace!!!]

We oughta burn that.

[beathollow]

I was thinking about that. It's the hat that caught me off guard.

( ... she seems a bit more subdued, actually.

but she'll just pick it up and toss it in that box in the corner that says "to burn". )

[goei]

[FREEZING UP. DOES SHE KNOW??? NO THAT COULD MEAN ANYTHING. PLAY IT COOL, IZOU.]

What about it?

[beathollow]

It's a little familiar, but I can't put my finger on it...

( ... it's been weeks with a lot of memory-shares, after all. )