Description: Jiro and Hotaru recover from the fight against Marise and Elle, but Jiro has bad news to impart. He will be going away for a long, long time but the two promise to keep in touch.
It's been about an hour or so since the fight with Elle and Marise. It was a hell of a fight, from coming in to see Hotaru get wailed on to jumping in the fight himself to deal with both the ninja and the punk bitch. But Jiro got up and just carried Hotaru off. He can still feel the lingering poison, wondering what the hell is in him that was used. No, he has enough strength to carry Hotaru back.
While it's approaching the evening time, the Stray Dog is making his way towards the sacred grounds of the churchyard. The weather is a bit cool to make the travel a little more nicer. While he continues to walk, the pacing is a bit slowed. He knows Itokatsu has to be around, but there are some thoughts that pervade his mind as he thinks over things.
~ Nepal Mountains. That's where he wants me. ~
He opens the door and makes it up the stairs. But as soon as he can get to the top, Jiro collapses on one knee, but he's careful to put Hotaru down, then he leans against the wall close to the door.
"...Ugh... From bad to worse."
She had no experience with being ambushed before and her failure to keep pace with the two attackers in spite her inherent speed advantage certainly proved that. Slashed in the leg then bashed repeatedly with Elle's guitar, Hotaru was in sad enough shape to remain unconcious after Jiro found her and throughout the entire trip back to the church she owns.
Something in the jostling of being placed back down causes her to stir though, one hand lifting to rest against her forehead where the gash she got from being struck in the face has scabbed over some. The ringing headache from it all lingers on though, and even as she struggles to become conscious, she winces.
A while later, blue eyes bat open and Hotaru rolls onto her side, pressing herself up with her arms, her hair, sticky in places from dried blood, hanging down around her face. "Uhn..." She shakes her head, but that just makes the headache worse, so she doesn't do that for long. Shifting into a seated position, leaning back a little against her hands, she looks toward the Stray Dog. She has no idea what transpired after Elle crashed her over the wall, but the fact that they're both alive and within a safe, familiar place is enough to provoke a half smile, one hand absently rubbing at her leg where she was slashed, "I guess that could have gone better," she says. "But at least we're okay now, right?" Her voice carries a certain amount of question to it, perhaps hoping that Jiro will confirm that they, indeed, are 'okay'.
The sound of small feet scurrying over stone is heard, and then Itokatsu crawls up into the room from outside before leaping into the room. Landing between the two, the small animal glances back and forth between Hotaru and Jiro, as if all together uncertain as to who needs his affection more at the moment.
Unfortunately, the color on Jiro has paled over some time, a little more worse to where it is a bit more noticable. The youth slowly leans himself up from the resting point, glancing towards Hotaru with a smile on his face, "Could had gone better, yes. But we survived. I at least took out the ninja bitch." Just for added affect.
"I wish I put her through a wall." To keep his composure cool, Jiro tucks his hands into his pocket. His eyes do notice Itokatsu, and he promptly gestures the hand out towards Hotaru with a smile.
For now, Jiro looks at Hotaru, "What were they coming after you for?" He looks at Hotaru, mostly a bit of confusion. He shuts his eyes once more, allowing to set his pace back up.
He looks noticeably sick to her and it doesn't take long for her to begin wondering further at what happened. The last thing she vaguely remembers is struggling to breath against yet another choke hold, making that the second time for the fight.
At the encouragement, Itokatsu moves over to Hotaru and as she shifts to a cross legged position, he crawls into her lap where she begins petting him thoughtfully. Her mind wanders back to the attack she saw Marise do to Jiro, her lips locking on his as she gripped him so. "I don't completely know." she admits. "I saw her once before... and then we ended up facing off in a Neo League fight... I thought that would be the last of her interest in me." Itokatsu is scritched as the ferret begins to rub against her arm affectionately.
She frowns a little, remembering her own angry demand that Marise tell her what the attack was all about in the first place. "She wanted something from me. I don't quite understand it. She said she wanted my strength and heart." The girl feels goosebumps on her arms, the dark woman's words creeping her out the more she thinks back on it.
Her mind recalls her own assault on the woman, where for a moment she felt something else overtake her that she had never felt before. "I-... I think I tried to kill her." she murmurs, eyes lowering to the floor.
"I would had. If she wants to act like the undead, I would had broke her like the undead." Good ol' viciousness. The things he gained while working under Kain. The Stray Dog looks at Hotaru, frowning a little more. He kneels over next to her a moment later, placing the hand towards her shoulders.
He exhales a sigh, then he runs both of his hands along the shoulders as he notices the goosebumps. He is aiming to sooth them out and he raps his arms around her. "...Well, we're all human, in the end." He considers, "We have our own viciousness and killer intent." He smiles, "But..." He shuts his eyes, "Perhaps she's trying to drive it into you?" He frowns a bit, "I don't know."
As Jiro moves close, Hotaru smiles softly, lifting her hand to brush back matted bangs. She relaxes at his touch and as he puts his arms around her she leans into him a little for support. "I don't know..." she replies quietly. She never would have thought that she would have vicious or killer intent within her, but maybe she had never been exposed to such cold, ruthless evil before. Dante was after Jiro, not her. But that woman... definitely had targetted her, bringing along some thug with a guitar to help her when she couldn't do it on her own apparently.
"Maybe it's really over now. I don't know. It's hard to understand when I don't even know what she wanted. But..." She shakes her head again, her hands idly petting Itokatsu as well. The ferret leans against her arm with his paws, nuzzling Jiro's arm now that the young man is close to Hotaru. "Are you okay?" she asks, putting aside the questions of Marise from her mind. The attack that woman did to /him/... the embrace, the kiss, the vampiric syphoning of what makes him who he is... the memory is mortifying but try as she might, she can't put it out of her mind.
The question that Jiro has been questioning himself about. Is he okay? The eyes shut, shaking his head for a few moments, "Honestly, no. Admittedly, that damn vampiric kiss was partly a pain, but it's not the worst." He snorts, "I did enjoy kicking her on the ground for that shit though." He frowns, "But... I may have to go soon." His eyes narrow as he considers.
"I was not quite at the best condition when I saw you getting attacked. I had to draw on my fury to keep myself sustained." He considers, "Right now, got poisoned through some venom that was sent to me in a package." He narrows his eyes, "It's nothing I can't deal with for some time, but.." He smiles, "I wanted to make sure you were okay."
He decides to explain a bit more about the package, "Not sure who it is from, it's from someone that I seem to know." He deadpans, "And he says that he can help me with controlling my rage. ...Like old times." He shuts his eyes, "It narrows my list down a little more." He looks at his glove, slowly removing it to reveal a three-prong spot of where he was struck.
"Unfortunately, it looks like I don't have much of a choice. But, punching this guy in the face will make me feel better."
When one asks if another is going to be 'okay,' the last thing they want to hear is 'no.' Hotaru's eyes widen slightly as she turns her head to look directly into his face. She's a sight for sore eyes, herself, with the dried blood streaks down the side of her cheek and her hair a tangled mess of dried blood, flower blossoms, and dead leaves.
"Jiro..." she whispers, her voice heavy with worry. She wonders if it's Dante, but it doesn't seem likely. Not with the way they parted paths last. Someone else from Jiro's past playing with him now? Her own hand reaches out to take hold of his arm as he pulls off the glove, seeing the holes, visible proof of what he is describing.
"Where will you go?" She sits up a little bit more straight now, "How long do you think-... I-I should come with you!" she begins insistantly, her tone becoming more urgent. "Are you sure you will be getting help from whoever this is? Why would he be so insistant on helping you to the point of poisoning you? Maybe there's another cure. Did you ask Mizuki? She seems to know about such things. I have other friends too. Or maybe my family doctors. We could get the best experts in the world for you. Someone must know." Her hand tightens on his arm, her thoughts pouring out with frantic worry.
"I have a guess as to who it is." Jiro calmly states, his eyes shutting as he reflects back at the person responsible. "...Help me... just like old times." The Stray Dog slowly rests a hand towards Hotaru's hand, smiling at her in a faint sense.
~ "Time to teach you how to fight. No one will challenge you and pick on you. Alright? Remember, call me big brother." ~
The Stray Dog snorts back at his reflection, then he considers, "Nepal Mountain, from what the note said. Other than that, he told me he'll have a set of instructions when I get there." He shrugs, "Unfortunately, I don't have much of a choice, as he doesn't plan to give me one." He looks at Hotaru, leaning over towards her to brush his lips against her lips, this time, both hands holding onto her arms.
He holds onto the lingering kiss for a while, then he pulls away, "I should be fine. I may as well see him again." His eyes narrow, "If he is who I believe that he is, he has a reason."
She listens as he speaks, eyes on his, taking in his explanation while her mind tries to unwind the situation. He seems to have made up his mind to see this person - to leave on this trip. "But..." she begins to protest again, her voice falling quiet even before his lips reach hers.
The kiss quiets her questions for the duration, the girl closing her eyes after a few seconds. As he pulls away, she opens her eyes again, looking at him worriedly. "If you think it is the right thing to do..." she relents. "But I could come too? I haven't even started classes yet. I could just put off school until after." Her eyes stray from him, the girl looking at the ferret in her lap as Itokatsu looks back up her. "Unless... unless you don't want me to." she voices the doubts beginning to build up in her mind. Maybe the problem is her? Jiro would be far from the first to take a long 'trip', leaving her behind to wonder when she might see him again.
"I'd love for you to come with me." Jiro smiles, "Honestly, I don't even want to leave. I'm happy here..." He looks at his arm, "But, at this point, I don't have much of a choice, as he told me that he made the poison himself." He snarls at the thought, then he looks up at Hotaru, this time gazing right into her eyes.
"I can't let you. I'll need someone to keep in touch with from the distance." He reaches over to his cellphone. "Besides, you have leads about your brother, even if it's through Kain." He shuts his eyes, "You have investigations of your own to deal with." He grins at her as both eyes open once more, "Besides, you have school. I'm -not- going to let you put off school again. You'd end up like Sakura." He laughs a little. The Gedo Graduate muses.
"School's important. Odd for someone like me to say that, but..." He chuckles, "Unlike last time, we'll keep in touch." He reaches his hands into his pocket to pull out a small paper, filled with important bits of the information. His cell number, the live journal information, and so forward. "So you won't have to wonder about when I return too much."
His words take a while to sink in, but outwardly at least, she begins to look comforted, some of the self-doubts being washed aside by his assurances of staying in touch. He is right that she has a lot to persue here. Her brother, her new training at the Kyokugen dojo, her rapidly improving fighting career, and yes, like it or not, education. She's already a year behind from her own travels, but she hadn't really thought about it like that before.
The paper is accepted, her eyes finally pulling from his to glance over the contents, then she looks back toward him, a reluctant smile returning as she seems to accept his words as truth. "Okay," she replies. "We will stay in touch. Knowing that you're okay will help."
She sighs a little, then continues. "I..." Hotaru pauses, her voice a little less steady when she finally resumes, "I will miss you while you're gone just the same though."
"Besides, I worked my butt off to finally admit my feelings to you." Jiro grins, "There's no way I'd let things go so easily." He reaches his hand over towards her hands, then he brings the hands close towards his lips, gently kissing the hands. "I'll miss you too, Hotaru." His eyes shut, "But, seeing you again will be my strength to come back." He looks at Itokatsu, reaching a free hand to scritch the creature on the head, "You too, little guy."
His eyes focus at Hotaru, "Besides, I love you. I'll keep you in my thoughts." He grins a little, then he softens his gaze, "But for now, I just want to hold you close for a while longer before I have to leave." Both arms soon wrap around her shoulders, aiming to press her close to him.
"I'd ask you to punch Alma for me if I don't see him, but I think I'll take care of that myself. Repression is nice when you -finally- get to do what you want." Like putting Alma through a wall. The longer he waits, the more satisfying it is in the end.
Hotaru watches him thoughtfully as he kisses her hand, the pain she was feeling ameliorated some. It will be hard to think that he won't be there to see, day by day, but they can still talk. Hotaru's expression softens as he continues to convince her that this isn't just an excuse to get distance between them. There's just something he has to do and she can respect that, even if it isn't convenient.
Itokatsu chitters a little at the attention, but otherwise the bellfry is mostly silent. Even the nested doves seem to be giving the two a peaceful moment of tranquility.
She leans back into him as he pulls her close, having shifted her position to face out toward one of the large openings between the large pillers. Watching the stars come out one by one, she sighs quietly. Now that he can't see her face from this angle, the tears she had been holding back begin to collect along the brims of her eyes before brimming over and rolling down her dirt and blood stained cheeks.
Quietly she wonders at the hurt she's feeling. If this is what it feels like to lose someone only temporarily, with the promise of continued contact, then what must it feel like to lose someone forever? What was it like for her father when her mother died? She can't imagine going through that. But since Jiro will be returning, she won't have to. She can take solace in that at least. It helps a little, for now.
One tear rolls off her cheek and falls on his arm. The splash a small, watery betrayal of the emotions she was hoping not to show.
While the Stray Dog cannot see her, he is very receptive of the area around him. After all, like the animals, he is of the wild nature. His eyes focus at the stares, but his attention falls on Hotaru, noting her features. He hugs her closer, then he has her over to face him, "Hotaru." He smiles a little more.
"Even though I'll be far, I'll still be with you in spirit. I'll support any and every decision you make." He grins at Hotaru, "Just as long as you do what you feel is right." He tries to get her to face him, "Gazing at you will give me some comfort." He does, however, wince slightly as he feels the poison still taking effect. Meh, he can hold it out. Jiro has -always- held it out before.
Even with it running, he'll at least take the peace that he's with Hotaru right now. His nose leans over to touch her nose, the Stray Dog grinning. "If worse comes to worse, our spirits are connected if not with each other, then the animals in this world." He chuckles, reaching a finger to remove the tear, then he runs the hand across her cheek. "Something I've noticed of what similiar spirits we have." He muses, "Though, I suppose mine is more of the fact that I'm akin to a wild animal myself."
Swallowing, Hotaru turns to look up at Jiro as he tries to get her to face him. As he talks she can't help but smile, though the expression is muted by the utter mess her tears are making of her face already. Perhaps feeling conscious of this fact, she turns her face into her white sleeve and wipes it once, leaving a red-brown smear on the white cloth and matching red-brown streaks across her face. It didn't really help all that much. "I must look terrible, I don't know how it could give you any comfort," she finally giggles lightly, giving up on the effort of saving face as the two brush noses.
It's perhaps fitting that their final time together for a long while would be as two wounded warriors recovering from their battle wounds. Hotaru's tears stop, the last one flicked away by his gentle touch. Pulling back a little, she studies Jiro thoughtfully. "Thank you for saving me... I don't know what they had in mind, but if you hadn't have come along..." Then maybe whatever it was Marise did to him would have been done to her. Or even worse.
She lifts her arms up and drapes them over his shoulders now, leaning forward to seal their promise to stay in touch with one last kiss. After it is over, Hotaru sinks down a little, turning her face to the side, and resting her head and palms of her hands against his chest. If he wants to hold her close for a while, she certainly won't object to that.
"I owe you my life." Jiro grins at Hotaru, thinking over when she tried to defend him, despite the fact that it was supposed to be his time to die. He considers over the matter, "Whatever they came for, I hope they were not successful. Unfortunately, the other bitch knocked me out." He growls, but he is interrupted from the moment of rage to something more worthwhile.
The sealing of staying in touch with the last kiss. He doesn't let go of her, not for a while. But as she continues to hold onto him, Jiro offers a smile as an idea suddenly comes up to his head.
"How about we trade a personal cloth that we usually wear? ...It will help remind us of one another, despite of how distant we are." He shuts his eyes, trying to think things over. Considering that Jiro is a very simple man who doesn't like decorating himself much, he tries to think of something close that he usually has. His harmonica, while ideal, won't do much good, considering that he got Hotaru one for Christmas. He is suddenly taking into realization, "Oh!"
His eyes focus over hands to reveal one of his leatherstraps for gloves. "...Heh, just like a glove." He slowly removes the accessory from his right hand, offering a smile as he hands it towards Hotaru. "Not really much, but...." He chuckles.
Sitting up straight as Jiro proposes an idea that is, well, awfully sentimental for the youth that used to put on such an air of toughness, Hotaru looks at him with a bit of an amused expression. "Why Jiro, that's a great idea." she laughs, then waits patiently for him to think about it first. No sense in rushing him. After all it was his idea. Meanwhile, Itokatsu crawls out of her lap and sits down on the floor of the bellfry, curling up next to the girl's side.
As the glove is offered, she takes hold of it with both hands, handling it with respect before placing it in her lap. "Hm," she ponders what to offer in return. Then she reaches behind her head and tugs on the long end of one of her red hair ribbons. Pulling it loose, it slips into her hand and the pigtail it maintained falls loosely against her shoulder. "Here you go." she smiles, holding out the worn ribbon for him to take. "It's lucky," she says with a wink. How else can she explain all the lucky things that have happened to her? "I'll keep the other one. I can't have you taking all my luck." Reaching up, she pulls out the other ribbon, then takes a moment to gather all of her hair behind her head and using both of her hands, she ties it off into a pony tail.
Once she takes the glove, Jiro offers a smile at Hotaru, "I'll need the other one...not quite my strong arm, but it'll do the job and leave an imprint on a person's face." Jiro considers. Then, the young man looks at Hotaru while she removes the first ribbon from one of her pigtails.
It draws a smile as Jiro looks at the worn ribbon, then he takes it and he wraps it along his wrist. "I'll keep this with me, always." The Stray Dog smiles a little more, then he cracks a grin at her little joke. "Of course not. You'll need all the luck you can get." Although, when her hair does temporarily hang down, Jiro watches her tie the hair to a pony tail.
"You still look beautiful as ever." He smiles, "I know I've been feeling very sentimental lately. But, I suppose this is something that I've needed for a while. ...I'm sure punching Alma again will give reassurance that I haven't gone soft." He grins, then he drapes a hand over towards her back, resting as the arm wraps around her.
The compliment earns Jiro a bit of a blush, perhaps difficult to discern in the night's dim light. But as he talks about punching Alma, Hotaru shakes her head with a half roll of her eyes, shifting position again in order to be able to lean against him once more, "Are you going to talk to him before you leave? It would mean a lot, you know." Otherwise... /she'll/ have to tell him. Which is kinda like how Alma had to tell Jiro when Hotaru last left, but...
She studies Jiro some more, detecting that the poison within him is not without its effects already. It was probably even hampering him in the fight this afternoon. "I understand if you can't wait much longer... You have to still have your strength for the trip," she comments, becoming more somber.
"Of course. I owe him a punch in the face for the shit he pulled on me." He grumbles, "I have not forgotten that I was dressed up as a gay cowboy nor about Tran in the team. I swear, the team is going to be more disfunctional than the Kasagi family in one setting." He deadpans, then he glances at Hotaru with a smile while she leans against him. His arms slip around her and then keeps her close to where he feels more than comfortable.
The poison is still taking effect, but Jiro still has a lot of energy to deal with it. Of course, the question is how much that is left before it takes its toll on him? The Stray Dog nods, "Yeah. I will conserve what strength I have, after I deck Alma."
"Just once. I just want to deck him in the face -once-, and I'll be happy. ...Even more so if he's put through a wall." Pause, "...I'll make sure I try to find him outside of the church."
"Err...far away from the church."
Always with the decking Alma... Hotaru laughs lightly, having heard this so many times by now that it's just come to be expected of the Stray Dog. "Ah yes, the team..." she muses when he mentions it, her voice trailing of as her mind wanders. Jiro's departure will leave a missing piece in so many things. A blanked out spot on a team roster of misfits... a room no longer used at the Kasagi household... the bickering with the male model or arguments with his sister, and above all else, the missing shoulder to lean when difficult times come down the line. Hotaru thinks about all the things she would like to have done with him at her side or all the conversations they could have had. If only there was more time...
But as much as she would like to hold back the dawn of tomorrow and keep it tonight forever, she knows she can do no such thing. Wishing for such an impossible thing only whispers to her how much she is going to miss him.
The girl shakes her head, shattering the reverie. There will be plenty of time for silent reflection later. For now, all that matters is enjoying being here, with him. "I'm sure there will be a spot waiting for you when you get back," she says, amusement slipping back into her voice. "When you get back, everything will still be here. It will be like you never left. You'll see. I'll be here."
Shutting his eyes, "You being here..." He looks at her as his eyes re-open, "Will mean so much to me." His hand takes her hand, "I'll be back in one piece." His eyes focus at her, "And I do hope you find your brother while I'm gone. I hope to see you still in school when I'm back... I'll probably pick class..."
His expression grows dry, "Knowing my luck, I will somehow end up in the same classes as Alma." He shrugs, then he smiles, "But, I think enjoying this night with you for one last time is better than anything else." With him hugging Hotaru so close, Jiro gazes at the sky at the church for one last night.
Log created on 16:34:59 05/14/2007 by Hotaru, and last modified on 05:50:17 05/15/2007.