( closed to @luck ) your turn to die: sou hiyori

[killed]

With varying vanities, from every part, they shift the moving toyshop of their heart.

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[killed]

[ To say it had felt like he was on fire the first time he awoke would be a severe understatement. It was as though every neuron was firing off pain signals, an agonizing pain in his arm, running down his entire torso, in his thighs, everywhere. It had been blinding to the point where the only thing that saved him was the quick sedation that was administered once he was found. It's fortunate for him that the damage was minimal, and despite his coughing up blood there was no immediate need for concern.

He's awake again at last, just in time for the nurse to finish with him - clean linens that he needed to be transferred for, a clean body from a sponge bath, a clean gown... He can almost pass as presentable. The nurse has stepped out for a few moments, to get rid of al the filthy rags and everything else, but he doesn't doubt that she'll be back to do her final inspection and to scold him for his recklessness. He places a and over his mouth, yawning.

It should be like a kid waiting to be scolded, but instead he just seems tired from the analgesia that steadily drips through his IV once more. ]

Are you still here? Nagito... ♥

[ They're married, so he should get to use his first name. Did they already have a conversation about that? He can't remember very well, but more importantly, he hasn't changed his mind on what should be. ]

[killed]

[ It doesn't occur to him that the reason he isn't received a response is the way he addresses his husband. Hiyori instead comes to the far more reasonable conclusion that he had simply been discharged already, as it would be easy enough to force his way out the door. How inconsiderate of him to leave without giving a kiss goodbye... Then again, perhaps he had, and he had simply forgotten it in his drug induced haze.

Whatever the circumstances might have been, a quick scan of the room is all that he needs to confirm that Komaeda isn't present at this time, and so he lets out a little sigh before settling back. He'll be scolded, but he's hardly in any state to understand the problem with his actions, and his dim awareness isn't allowing him to process the thick smell in the air that had no doubt assaulted the nurse upon entering. Really, he's not aware of very much at all right now. The drugs he's on are heavy, corroding his mind and leaving him heavy, but even without that he injuries he's sustained sap all of his energy day and night.

...

...

He's already dozing off again. ]

[killed]

[ When compared to anyone else, Hiyori's recover is swift as can be. He's been given only the best care, exposed to treatments reserved solely for those who the company calls their own or has otherwise made some deal with, and as a result it's taking a third of the time that it should for him to see heal. It's nonetheless taken multiple treatments to get him to this point, surgeries and skin grafts and various tools to ensure that there's not a single trace of his injury left. There won't so much be a scar left behind by time they're done, so thorough is their work.

He's in and out on most days due to the heavy drugs he's given, and after having two incidents in less than a day he had all potential comforts stripped from him. There was no roommate, as if not for Komaeda he never would have consented, and there are no visitors. There's nothing but sleep and the nurses coming and going and pretending to care about more than the consequences of treating him as anything less than the most important person they'll care for.

But in the end his complaints had won out, and while no one would mistake him for mobile, hes at least been deemed well enough to be allowed a single trip to the cafeteria. He's able to keep some solids down now, but he doesn't seem to have much interest in it, or even really interacting with anyone... In fact, the only thing he seems to be willing to to touch is the ice cream that he's scooping bites out of, letting the spoon stay in his mouth as the sugary substance melts. They're kinder to him than anyone else they'd have here, and he was given a second cup as an apology, along with a teasing reminder that he needs more than that to recover. But they can just give him nutritional substitutes for the rest, and bone broth works just fine for proteins.

He's sulking. ]

[killed]

[ Hiyori's senses are dull compared to what they should be, and what little sense of mind he has is spent pondering how much longer he'll be trapped here. It might be a much shorter time than it would be for anyone else, but it's nonetheless reducing months to months. There are none who would accuse him of being ready to go back out into the world when his biggest accomplishment is a slight grip and an ability to sit up straight for periods of time. As such, it takes him longer than it should to notice the messy white hair and dull green eyes a few seats down.

He takes the spoon out of his mouth and lets another spoonful melt on his tongue. He should just ignore him, but... ]

Komaeda.

[ He should at least be compliant now that he's made such a mess of things. There's no honorfic attached to his name, but given that he hasn't been able to settle on a name since coming here, it's safe to assume that there's no deeper meaning hidden behind the informal address. His mind still isn't functioning well, and the tired voice he speaks with that seems to confirm as much. ]

You won't be able to heal if you don't eat.

i'm already sick

[supporter]

[ Hiyori is a light sleeper at the best of times, but he seems to be especially restless tonight. He tends to be cool at night, holding another tight beneath the blankets to warm them both up, but normally he's successful enough at that. But he's never cold like this, a coolness that permeates his skin and sinks down to flesh and bone. It's too early for it to be this cold, but perhaps that can attributed to the sickly feeling that's overtaken him - he's heavy as lead, his body aches, and he'sas tired as if he hadn't slept for days despite being forced into fixing his sleep schedule some time ago.

His arms are empty. He mumbles and fidgets, and if not for the arm yanking out from under him he might have just dozed right back off in an effort to stave off whatever sickness is taking him. It does though, and he squirms and rolls over to get out from beneath it, rolling onto his stomach and wrapping his arms around a pillow so he can bury his face in it before turning his head to rest his cheek on it when prompted.

He's heard the sound of his voice on recordings enough to recognize it. That makes no sense here and now though, in what he knows must be his bedroom int he middle of the night, speaking words in a puzzled tone that he would never use for such language. It seems like the sort off odd question his husband would direct to him. Something is wrong. A lot seems wrong, in fact. ]

Mmn...? No, of course not...

[ He mumbles, and that seems wrong too... Seriously, what the fuck is going on? He wants to go back to bed, but there's no way he can now.

He blinks and groggily adds, ]

Komaeda-kun...?

[killed]

[ The days are long and the nights are longer. It's almost unbearable by now, but with no solution in sight it seems the only option is to keep up this unfortunate little game of cat and mouse. He's done his research into the matter, but there seems to be no solution to it save staying awake. It's quite unlucky that he's been targeted, as urban legends suggest that the monster has only ever been known to go after teenagers - supposedly, he's the vengeful ghost of a child murderer.

How frustrating... The only option seems to be to stay awake. It would be easy enough if he could just pass the curse along to another, but that doesn't seem to be an option now. He had read that there were a pair of survivors with various suggestions of how they did it, but all seem to suggest that a nursery rhyme and forcing the creature to see his own reflection are essential for sealing him away. It might not be enough to remove him from the world, but it would keep him away from them.

It's risky though, and it would requiring living long enough to try. He blinks as the bottle shatters, staring without any particular expression, barely sure of what had just happened. His answer is slow to come, ]

Yes... I'm fine.

[ The glass crunches beneath his feet as he steps over, examining bottles and deciding on which ones will suit their purposes best. If he survives this, he's certain that he'll need rehab - he's been depending on both legal and illegal drugs to keep him going, having easy access to both. ]

We've found ourselves in quite the predicament, haven't we...?

— twincest au

[killed]

[ There's different legends about twins. There's some who say that they're lovers from a previous life, bound together in death and in the next life. There's other legends that which claim that they're a single soul split into two. They might be two individuals who can come together even in death.

Maybe that's why the pair of them love each other so much, albeit the two are as different as any two people might be. Sou and Komaeda Hiyori, both born to a prestigious family, but it was decided early on that Sou would act as the heir and take on all the responsibilities that came along with it. Prim and proper, intelligent and resourceful, perfect in every way, beloved and threatened with the increasingly worse punishments should he fail - history is circular, looping over and over again, and it seems that in every life he's blessed with good fortune and all of the troubles that come with it.

Yet how blessed he is to have such a rare talent, to be so renowned at such a young age! What they would do if they were to catch him under the covers, on his hand and knees as he hovers above his twin with his face in his hand, leaning in to offer kiss after kiss upon him, peppering his face, catching his lips, working his way down to his neck before finally pulling away with a smile. He wouldn't be stripped of everything, but rather, subjected to such harsh punishments that he shouldn't dare think of acting in such an improper manner ever again.

But the risk is what makes it fun, and he leans forward to slip his arms around his twin and roll over, flopping onto his back with the other in tow. ]

Hm... I wonder if they'll break my hands or my legs first? Maybe they'll let you do it, and then you can take my place... Wouldn't that make you happy, Nacchan?

[ Take his place and have every last shred of his ability to live freely stripped from him. ]

Or maybe we can find All God's Village, and you can wrap your hands around my neck... ..

[ He'll take Komaeda's hands in his own once he's properly on top of him, wrapping those thin fingers around his neck to demonstrate, his voice dropping to a whisper, ]

Just like this...

I'M JUST SICK ABOUT IT

[killed]

[ It is a myth. It's just a story he'd heard about from a passing folklorist. Hiyori no longer remembers when or which one it was, just that he had mentioned it once he found out that he was a twin. He'd laughed and brushed it off as a mere story, but he made a small mistake in mentioning another ritual in passing. It was just a few words, but more than enough for the youth to latch onto, enough to see that pained look on his face and the way that he suddenly clamped out. They were just slight, subtle sighs of guilt and trauma, but despite his young age he's already been trained to recognizes.

He looks up at those subtle expressions on Komaeda now, the way his fingers rub against his neck rather than tightening, but he already knows it'll be the same as always. He pushes their relationship a little further each time, letting his fingers and kisses wander to new places, the tones becoming all that more affectionate, but that singular offer has remained the same. Those few words, the same light squeeze before the affection that follows, and Hiyori wraps his arms around the back of his neck to pull him in for another kiss so he can whisper the same words to him as always. ]

... I'd still adore you with your hands around my neck, I'd love you until the last breath left my lungs... Even after that, because then we could be together forever...

[ Hiyori would be unhealthy in any world. There's no life in which a child had such pressure placed upon them and a life decided for them before they're even born in which they don't struggle. The only difference in this one is that he has an anchor. Once upon a time he would shed a few tears when the pressure and reminders of his importance caught up with him, when he still questioned why they were so different despite being born together, before that changed into soft kisses and shared nights and words of love as he settled more and more into who he should be.

But he still thinks it's a nice idea. Hiyori doesn't want to die, the idea scares him far too much, but it's nice to think of being completed. They could become one soul, the twin wings of a crimson butterfly; one who purifies the earth, one who watches over it, but they're rejoined in the end. He should be so willing to accept that pain, because he has to - sometimes it has to hurt a little, sometimes one has to struggle and sacrifice to get what they want, because life is never so easy.

But he sighs a little, knowing that such a train of thought will only cause more friction. He offers an apologetic smile. ]

Sorry, sorry... I understand... Dreams are just dreams, and we must live in reality! ... I won't bring it up again, okay? I promise.

[ That, at least, is new. But he knows - if he keeps asking, if he keeps pushing it, eventually he'll just push Komaeda away from him completely. The idea frightens him. ]

— pet person au

[killed]

[ Only two-to-four percent of cats can be called purebred, and of that tiny percentage some breeds are more rare than others. Of the breeds, some are more rare than others, with those rare mutations that led to exotic colors being a rarity among rarities. Hiyori belongs to this small pool, a norwegian forest cat with fluffy green fur and jade eyes that contrast with it. This, combined with the white pupils, lead to a stunning appearance that made him highly desirable - which is to say that he was worth more than most would make in a lifetime.

Being a cat he doesn't pay much mind to any of this save the fact that it leads to him being pampered and loved, treated as special and fawned over by all who see him. He's vaguely aware that his owner is looking for another of his breed to produce a littler, but that too is something he pays no mind to. What he does notice is the scraggly stray that was brought home one day. It was just chance that saw him caught and taken in, but Hiyori has been alternating between getting close and trying to paw at him as much as he's kept his distance and watched him curiously.

It's the former today as he pads his way over to him, ears perked and tail curled at the tip like a question mark.

Rather than politely announce himself, he's going to try to affectionately headbutt him! Pay attention to him! ]

[killed]

[ Docile and social, getting along easily with people as much as other cats, he's of a breed that's well loved for a reason. But he's only been with other humans, pampered and loved and doted on, a life far detached from that of a scruffy stray. He's dirty, and they'll both wind up getting washed now, and he'll have a fit when the flea medicine applied after.

But for now he's upset for av completely different reason. Rather than being upset that another car was brought in, Hiyori had decided the other to be for him in particular, no different than being given a new toy from his perspective, and allowed that to dampen the usual irritation that seeing another cat would otherwise bring. It makes the harsh response to his greeting seenlm all that much more. He flinches, ears laying flat back and tail puffing as the pain b from the bite sinks in. Hee swats at the hand holding him and backs away. ]

Ill-mannered moggie... [ He hisses in return with all the confused irritation of one who's never been rejected before, ] You should be happy to have been taken in.

— hiyorai au

[killed]

[ It was like the end of a long dream. His work is never done, it will never be done, but the long nightmare that has haunted him more and longer than any other has finally ended. It had ended just as his dreams so often do, with the death of a young girl, her face smashed in beyond recognition.

If only she hadn't caused him so much trouble, he could have at least preserved her pretty face. If only he hadn't lost his temper, he could have made her into something much more beautiful.

The end of one nightmare and the beginning of another, as things so often are. But for now he's pleased. How miraculous to defeat one who would call themselves "Ultimate Despair" with nothing more than a few nicks and scratches; how amazing to do what no one else could! It caused quite the commotion. There's been hardly a moment when he could breathe since causing such a fuss for everyone, but he'd finally found it in a library, picking out this and that and handing them over to his cute husband.

There's a few gaps in his memory, but no matter. ]

We should read this one together next... Have you heard of it before? theMystery.doc is another ergodic novel, I believe you'll enjoy it... I'm quite fond of The Unfortunates as well...

[ From how he speaks and acts, one would act as though the events of before never happened, really. ]

[killed]

Not at all.

[ He stands behind Komaeda, wrappng his arms around his shoulders and leaning down so he can kiss his temple. ]

There's no where else I'd rather be than here with you... It was you who supported me all that time, so why should I give time of day to any other? Besides...

[ He exhales softly, closing eyes for a few seconds before standing up and resting his hands on his shoulders instead. He lets them linger there briefly before tugging the chair next to him out, sitting in it and folding his arms on the table as he sets his eyes on the person next to him. However many people there are in the world, he only sees one. ]

... I won't deny what you've said, but it was about more than that. I wanted to protect these peaceful days.

[ How frightening it was to wait for that person to arrive, and even now he finds himself thinking only of the next generation. There will be another, but it'll take time; he'll have the ability to put other measures in place by then. He'll do it because he's afraid, he'll do it because he wants to keep these small moments when he can trick himself into believing he can forget his worries, so that no one can ever think of interfering with them.

No one at all.

He thinks on the former question for a moment before adding, ]

It's good to visit things that make you uncomfortable once in awhile too, isn't it? You can't run away from them.

— lost village au

[killed]

[ Hiyori's instincts are sharp enough that he rarely finds himself in dangerous situations, as even those which are remain within his control. This is one of those few instances in which choosing to ignore them has presented him with quite the predicament. It started with an invitation, an off-beaten trail that was rarely used these days, and ended with day suddenly giving way to night and passing by a torri gate.

It's dark and chilly, and there's an eerie silence that only the slight breeze and their footsteps disrupt. It's reasonable to assume that it's a small village, one in which none have lived in for countless years based on the decrepit state of that the first buildings that they find are left in. The one that they stand at the door of is run down and aged, while the one across the cobblestone street is nothing more of a skeleton of what it once was and seems as though it might collapse at any moment

Men tend to have a strong sixth sense, and Hiyori isn't an exception to that. But Komaeda is lucky, and so he'll no doubt have picked up on some oddities by now. The woman crying and apologizing by the torii gate; the faint sense that there's someone nearby. It's a sense that comes and goes, like people passing by, but the place before them has a certain presence to it, as clear as if one were to hear shuffling inside.

He pauses in front of the door, shrugging off his jacket and draping it over his companion's shoulders. Between the pair of them, Hiyori can handle the cool temperatures better. ]

... Shall we see what we can find inside?

[ There's not many options left to them. ]

[killed]

[ ok i flipped a coin and it said brothers so ig hiyori is getting possessed fr

It would be one thing if they were able to leave, or even if it had been part of the plan, but this predicament was nothing if not unexpected. It's one of those few occasions where his instincts have failed him. How could it not have when all his training had promised such things didn't exist? His scarf comes off next and is loosely wrapped around Komaeda's neck. ]

We could try going back, or we could try going further in...

[ The way back is sealed, but they could wast trying. He takes his brother's hand in his own and looks to him with a smile. His smile is as gentle and reassuring as it's ever been, but it doesn't reach his eyes. His smiles are never genuine anymore, though he does well enough at fooling those outside of their household, a slight distance to his gaze that suggests him to be a bystander. The love bled out of his heart with nothing to take it's place and now he's just playing a role that he never wanted.

It's that role which allows him to put on a calm facade despite the chills that the words spoken to him send running down his spine. The moment he starts to think about it too hard, the moment he slows down and focuses, all those bottled up feelings will spill forth all at once. ]

Which will it be, Nagito? I've already led us down one wrong turn, so it's best that you pick the next one.

[ Why had he started off from the path like that? It was such a short distance, yet just the right one to lead them to this place. ]