Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[SeriousConcentrate]

"Yeah, well, I wanted to see you. Not text or call. That ain't the same."

"You've been real quiet since we went after that stalker, and now I show up and you look like shit. You gotta get out of that house and come back to the world. Here."

She held her helmet out to him.

"Come on, put it on and let's ride. I got some ideas."

[IamanElfCollaborator]

Akihiko gingerly takes the helmet. He snorts.
"..."
"I do look like shit."

[SeriousConcentrate]

"Exactly, glad you get it. Now put that on and get on the back. We're going out and I'm not taking no for an answer."

Mildred got back on her motorcycle, raised the kickstand, and the engine roared to life with the turn of the key. She looked back at Kasuga, waiting for him to get on, and revved it loudly with a grin.

[IamanElfCollaborator]

Akihiko reluctantly gets on.
"..."
"...you and Saya are the only ones who've been to see me for the last few days."
At that, Kanade makes a small "hm".
"Maybe it is up to me what I represent to other people. Tell you the truth, it's why I became an actress. To do something about it. If ever there was a field where you could make a name for yourself..."

[Chevaleresse]

"Maybe. That's not exactly making people who are fond of the old be less afraid of the new replacing it, though."

[IamanElfCollaborator]

"I suppose."
Kanade sighs.
"But then again, if I going to be someone, I'll be someone on my own terms. Not his."

[SeriousConcentrate]

"Hold on tight now. You know I don't believe in slow."

After making sure he had the helmet on - even though he probably didn't need it, even BEFORE being a Kaijin came into play - Mildred started driving. She let that last comment of his sit for a bit. It was something to think about while they drove - for now, she just wanted him outside, a part of the city around them. They'd get to their destination sooner or later, but for now, all that mattered was the wind around them, the sights and sounds of Mishima Economic District, the familiar streets flying past at high speeds. This was how she cleared her mind of any troubles. Maybe it would work for him too.

Eventually they crested the hill on the outskirts; it gave a great view of the entire city and was rather picturesque in the bargain but surprisingly not many people stopped here. She supposed it was because there was nothing else in the area except the view; whether you were coming or going there wasn't really any good reason to stop here. She slowed down and pulled over to the grass, kicking the stand down and killing the engine.

"Come on, over here."

Mildred walked over to the edge of the hill and put her hands in her jacket pockets, letting the breeze ruffle her hair as it liked - not like it wasn't already completely disheveled from riding anyway. After standing in silence for a few moments, she turned her attention to Kasuga.

"I know you have a lot going on in that skull of yours. Lay it on me. I'll hear you out."

[IamanElfCollaborator]

Akihiko doesn't walk along with Mildred, and instead stays in the vicinity of the motorcycle, hands in his pockets, clearly deep in thought.

"..."
"There's something wrong with me, Honda."
"I just...feel angry. Angry that we haven't found a single clue as to who the hell Andras is, or that we haven't stopped him from getting even one target of his, or even that people keep getting hurt."
"Lately, I keep hearing Ibaraki-Douji in my head. He's been telling me that I've forgotten what I've done this for. Why I'm doing this. And I'm afraid he's right. I've made no headway in this investigation, and all I can do is clean up the pieces, and...I just..."

He sighs.

"I know that Ibaraki-Douji is part of me. But even so, I shouldn't feel such anger. I shouldn't like fighting people."
"This power was meant to be a tool for justice, but when I was beating the hell out of Kitakawa, I didn't know if I was doing it because it was the right thing to do or because I wanted to see him like that. A true hero of justice...he doesn't want to fight for the sake of beating the villain. He fights to protect the weak. When I felt pleasure in beating him down, I...."
"And then there's Saya. I...I can't let her down, Honda. She's the only person who's had my back longer than you. But I feel like if I keep going down whatever path I'm going, I'll lose her, and..."

He runs his hands through his hair.

"She's my north star, Honda. She's always smiling, she's always helping other people, she's always there for me. If I lose her, if she stops smiling because of me, because of whatever the hell's wrong with me, I don't know what I'd do."

[SeriousConcentrate]

Mildred closed the distance between them in only a few steps. Gently, she reached out with a fist and pressed her knuckles against his chest.

"Akihiko, the way I see it, you have a choice. There's something inside of you unfamiliar to you, and you don't want to accept it. I get that. But you gotta. You gotta figure out a way to make Ibaraki-Douji a part of you, not apart of you. Understand? Or otherwise you'll end up like Sawatari. But you don't want to go too far the other way, or you'll end up like me. I ain't like the rest of the Kaijin."

She sighed.

"Seems like all the rest of you have some inner struggle going on, trying to figure out where you stop and the demon begins. I ain't got that. Proioxis has been real quiet since we met, and that kinda bothers me a little. Kinda makes me think maybe I was already a demon and if it wasn't for knowing you and Saya I'd've been just like that shitty stalker, doing whatever I wanted without caring about it. Can't say I don't want to just haul off and beat all of my problems into submission, too. I think it'd be real easy to just throw everything aside and force people to do things the way I want 'em to; kinda already been doing that for awhile and I 'm not so sure anymore it's the best way to handle shit."

She put her hands on his shoulders.

"But you're better'n me, Kasuga. And if I can do this, you can too. You've got someone relying on you, something to fight for. You ain't using this power for kicks or to prove yourself, you're doing it for other people. And I get that this strength can be fun - especially when it's someone who deserves it like Kitakawa. Hell, I've been having a blast with this, because it's all black and white. I don't have to think. I just know that if someone or something is standing in my way, they're no good, and beating them down helps people."

"That's why a lot of us put our faith in you. You're the brains here. You're the one who can draw the line in the sand between right and wrong when maybe some of us don't know how, keep us from going too far. And Saya? That girl loves you. I don't think you can disappoint her any more than you can disappoint the rest of us Kaijin. You're our leader. We trust you to do what's best for us."

Mildred returned her hands to her pockets.

"Hell, I ain't good at this deep thoughts and rah rah speech shit. I'm more of a speak the heart kind of girl."

"But you know what I'm trying to say even if I ain't got the words to say it. I've got your back for as long as you need me. You're my friend. Probably the only one I've really got."

A sudden gale erupted around her, and her now smaller form levitated on the winds.

"So I'm going to help you the only way I know how. Show me Ibaraki-Douji, and let's fight it out until you understand him!"

[Chevaleresse]

Shiro is quiet at that. The topic of her own father is . . .  complicated. She can't really offer encouragement, because she can't quite convince herself that blowing one's family off like that was right. A family was something that stuck together, even if they wronged each other sometimes. Wronged each other a lot, even. Every person in it, her father included, bled for the family if they had to. Can she really say for sure that what Kanade is doing isn't a betrayal of that ideal, that trust? That this blatant disrespect was acceptable?

Her mouth twists again, but this time she says nothing.

[IamanElfCollaborator]

Sensing, perhaps, that Shiro wasn't comfortable, Kanade sighs.
"I don't expect you to agree with me or to think that what I'm doing is right. That's your call. My family isn't yours. Everyone's got their own path to walk, you included."
"...don't get me wrong, I get it. Family sticks together."

She looks down at her hand, deep in thought, as if expecting it to turn into something else.

"I was deathly ill, as a kid. My father...never saw him once. Mom wasn't in the picture. It was the family chauffeur who figured out there was something wrong with me."
"That's when she woke up. Scathach, I mean. She was the only one who kept me company until I got better. She's...been my guide my whole life. I always thought she was my imaginary friend, until I didn't."
"...I want to say something punchy, but...well, I'm not reading from a script. That's just how life is, as far as Scathach's taught me. Messy. You do as best you can with what you have."

Kanade lapses into silence.
At that, Akihiko laughs.
"I'm hardly leading. We've barely got a group. I'm barely leading it. Well, I'm trying, but...after that stunt I pulled, I don't even think Aiuchi wants anything to do with me."

"I'm not sure fighting is a good idea, when I almost lost control. But...if I keep denying Ibaraki-Douji, I know it won't get any better. I'm just...not sure what I should do with that."

A gout of flames. Akihiko assumes a fighting pose, though it's not nearly as confident. Indeed, he still seems a little slack, as if he's trying to hold himself back.

"Give me your best shot, Honda."

[SeriousConcentrate]

"We'll fight until you get control. Now bring him out or you won't stand a chance!"

Mildred raised a hand, calling forth a strong rising gale that lifted her along with it, then came down toward Akihiko with an elbow strike. She was stronger than him normally, and as fast in the bargain with more experience brawling, but he had actual training and he knew her well enough to know exactly how she fought. It was going to be anyone's guess how it would turn out.

[Chevaleresse]

". . . Damn. Your dad's a real piece of work, huh?" Shiro shakes her head. "Honestly, I'm still not sure why I didn't just turn into an Akuma. Pyrrha hasn't said much to me, so I can't really claim 'em as a guide or anything. Not that it's been that long. Sounds like you've got yourself squared away, at least. Unless you're about to ask me for advice fir some reason."

[IamanElfCollaborator]

Kanade shrugs.
"Would you believe me if I said you're not even the third person this week to tell me they're surprised they awoke as a Kaijin?"
"People are a lot stronger than they give themselves credit for, Akari, you included. I have to remind myself of that from time to time, too."
Despite his seemingly languid pose, Akihiko isn't entirely off guard.

Another gout of flames. The previous one was red hot, this one was white-hot, enshrouding all of Akihiko as Mildred slams down upon him. She finds her elbow parried away, redirected towards the ground, as the flames clear and Ibaraki-Douji appears.

Mildred had the experience and the strength, but Akihiko's fighting style was, if not the perfect counter, then the perfect accompaniment. Redirecting blows to rob them of their force, relying on good footwork and positioning to land kicks in the right positions; Tokiwa-do martial arts were something to behold in the hands of a master. Akihiko was no master, but then, no master had the advantage of harbouring a demon a head taller and several dozens of pounds heavier in muscle.

"I said give me your best shot, Honda."

Mildred is fast enough to avoid Akihiko's follow-up, a side kick, the gales carrying her away from the attack as Akihiko resets his position.

[SeriousConcentrate]

Proioxis flipped away, the winds carrying her as if in a zero-g environment as she steadied herself on them. With a wave of her hands, she sent the fire from Ibaraki-Douji's follow-up kick around her and righted herself in the air.

"And I told you to take this seriously."

She spread her hands at waist level as a series of demonic needles formed from the wind enveloping her, barely visible hanging in the air. It was barely a second from their formation to their firing as Mildred rocketed to the side, then came directly at Kasuga with a powerful tailwind-powered punch. Even as she did, more wind-powered projectiles formed in her wake, ready to launch in sequence. It was obvious her technique was going to be to simply overwhelm him with the sheer amount of attacks she could quickly put out and force him onto the backfoot.