[He had expected confusion... shock, even. But nothing like this. When Koi saw Kazahana's panicked fear his eyes widened in bewilderment and he lifted his hands in a calming gesture to show that he meant well.]
Kazahana, I'm-
[He was interrupted by Toushi's angry snarl and lowered his hands again. It seemed like things were going a bit out of control, and he had not come here to upset anyone - especially not Kazahana.
Who ever this boy was... something most have happened. But he could not fathom the sweet young man he had seen in his memory do anything that could upset the small woman this much.]
I will leave.
[He was grateful for Will's help, but Kazahana's health was the most important thing.]
[She struggled to get a grip on herself, but it was difficult when the unexpected shot of fear had only done so much to clear her mind, and every muscle in her body seemed to have gone rigid.
She didn't feel in control of anything right now, not even herself, and the face of the man who'd lured her, trapped her and murdered her was the last thing she'd expected tonight. Even if he looked as shocked as her her friends did, all she could remember was the triumphant sneer on his face before things had gone black.
But Simon and Toushi wouldn't let him hurt her, even if it felt like she was back there again. She had to get a grip.]
[At the other man's words, Toushi's resolve faltered but his grip on Zangetsu never slackened. The other man was protecting the stranger and seemed angry at Toushi's response, but he was more concerned with the way that Kazahana seemed frozen to the spot in fear. He had never seen her like this before, it shook him.]
If you're Koi then prove it.
[In response to the rigidity in Kazahana's frame, his voice sounded wholly unconvinced. Still tense, he backed closer to the bed and stood slightly in front of her, but still within reach for him to drop a hand gently on her shoulder. His instincts screamed at him to get rid of this man, but he was torn by the desire to comfort his shaken friend. At her words his eyes widened in surprised then narrowed in disgust.]
You hear that? That guy killed her. How do we know he's not just pretending to be Koi?
[This was just... this was weird, even by the Tree's standards for him. He squeezed Kazahana's shoulder lightly, hoping the action could convey his sentiments. 'You're safe. I'm here with you. I won't let anyone hurt you again.']
[Simon looked over at Kazahana, then back at Koi, uncertain of what to do, his mouth hanging open slightly. Killed her. This man, the one whose body Koi was in, had killed her. He had no idea she'd even died once in the first place- though he realized it made sense, considering how long she'd been in the Sphere. The feelings of physical discomfort he'd experienced were still there; wiping sweat off his forehead, he moved closer to Kazahana, concern etched on his features. He felt stuck between a rock and a hard place right now; considering the evil doubles, the orange-haired young man DID have a point, but on the other hand...
He leaned in close to Kazahana and spoke in a soothing tone, the one he'd used when trying to calm his sister- his stomach gave a lurch at the memories.]
Kazahana. It's okay. If he intended to hurt you, he would have by now. I know he's in that body because I live with him... but...
[He looked helplessly at Koi.]
Bàba... if you think you should go... I don't want anybody to get hurt. This doesn't have to turn ugly.
[Simon then pressed a hand to his forehead. His mind was fogging, and the small amount of physical discomfort was still present.]
[Killed her. This man... this boy - his boy - had killed Kazahana? Koi's entire being protested against this and he looked away from the woman in the bed to not startle her more. Taking a deep breath - he could breathe so freely - Koi tried frantically to collect his thoughts.
Waking up with this face made him realize that he had mistaken Toushi for the young man in his dream; he looked almost exactly like Toushi - there was no doubt that the two were related. Logic and resemblance said so, after all. If not twins or brothers, then at least cousins.
The man he had been speaking to could not have done such a terrible thing as this. While he had not heard a word, the way the other had been acting told of nothing else but kindness, stubbornness and a slightly goofy side. It had given him feeling of pride, family and trust. That he so instinctively reacted against Kazahana's accusation made Koi even more certain.
It couldn't be true. Please don't be true.
Putting a hand on Simon's shoulder, he shook his head softly.]
Sit down.
[You have enough on your mind as it is.]
Toushi. Tell me how to prove that I'm Koi.
[He would leave, but leaving now without reassuring both Toushi and Kazahana would only bring up more fear and terror for the girl. She needed to rest, and rest did not come easy for someone thinking that their murderer was afoot in Edensphere.]
[Toushi wracked his brains for a moment, trying to think of something that only Koi would know. He thought back to the day they met, when Koi had first told him his suspicions about their relationship. Then the answer came to him. It was a lame question, but one he knew the answer to, and only Koi had been present at the time. It was so trivial he hadn't even breathed a word of it to anyone else.]
The day I met Koi... what kinda cookies did he give me? And what did he tell me afterwards?
[It wasn't much to go on, but it was a start. Toushi didn't let up with his glare for one second, not while this was still unresolved.
It was freaky looking at someone who looked so similar. Really, really freaky. It unsettled him almost as much as Kazahana's insistence that a man wearing this face had killed her...
...Wait, her murderer had looked like him? Why hadn't she told him that? Damn it, that was way too much of a coincidence for his liking. Like it or not, he was going to make her talk about what had happened when she was feeling better.]
[Kazahana looked from Simon, to Toushi, to that man--Koi--but only briefly at the latter. Her fast still beat so fast that it felt like there was a terrified butterfly in her chest, but she was starting to calm down, faster than she'd have expected. Another effect of Lezard's drugs, no doubt.
The man whose name she'd never known looked upset, but calm. Maybe even sincere. And if Simon thought he knew who he was, couldn't she trust him? But it seemed so wrong that Koi could ever be in the body of someone like that.
She focused on slowing her breathing as she waited for him to answer Toushi's question. She didn't know the answer, but Koi would. Until he spoke, she couldn't bring herself to say anything one way or the other.]
[Simon was glad for Koi's touch and briefly covered the older man's hand with his own, before pulling a chair close and seating himself. He didn't like the fact that the orange-haired man- Toushi- would not take his hand off of his sword, but a tiny bit of the tension seemed to have been defused.
His head was spinning. Kazahana had died, and here Koi apparently was, in the body of her killer. He wished there was something he could do to make things better, or even fathom how she must be feeling at the moment. But he knew he was more or less helpless, and so he waited.]
[Koi takes a moment to remember the first time he met Toushi and their little chat that had turned out so awkwardly.]
Oatmeal. You couldn't choose so I said they were the best ones.
[There was a small, sad smile from the old man in the young body, and he looked at Toushi. No matter what was going on here, it was upsetting for all of them. Kazahana the most, but Toushi as well. They were so very alike, after all.]
You had come to visit me since you had my dream. We discussed it, and then I told you that I believed we were related. That I was your father... and you didn't think it was much to go on. We decided I should be there for you as a friend until we knew more.
[Toushi listened to the other man's words- it felt so strange hearing those things come from a voice that was so unfamiliar- but... there was no way that it couldn't be Koi.
He let his hand fall from Zangetsu; it balled into a fist at his side as he looked from Kazahana to the other man whose name he still hadn't got from anyone to... Koi. In a body that looked like his. That had killed Kazahana.]
Wh- what's going on? There's no way you can be anyone but Koi, but-
[This was almost too much to take.]
Who is he? Who the hell is this guy, Koi? Kazahana?
[Kazahana breathed out slowly, able to relax a bit for the first time since the stranger had entered. She hadn't been there during the encounter Toushi described, but just from looking at him, she knew the correct answer had been given.
So this was Koi. It didn't look like him, but it did sound like him in a way, even if it wasn't his voice. He wasn't here to hurt her. That didn't make it much easier to have him here.]
I don't know.
[The statement was largely directed at Toushi, her voice softer, as though she'd used all her energy on going into a state of high-alert after Koi had arrived.]
I just saw his face. That's all.
[Hesitantly, she looked at Koi. Was he going to hate her now? But this wasn't either of their fault, was it?]
There were a lot of people who ended up with the wrong bodies, but the danger of the evil versions of others were more pressing for it to be noticeable, I guess.
[He gave Kazahana a slight smile and shook his head.]
Think nothing of it. You do not need to apologize for anything.
[He nodded to Toushi and then gave Will's shoulder a small pat. It would be best if he left, now that Kazahana knew he was not the man that had harmed her.]
When your health is better, Kazahana, we need to talk about this. Together with Toushi. What ever is going on, we need to get to the bottom of it before something like this happens again.
[Toushi just... didn't know what to make of this at all. He had accepted that it was Koi, but that still didn't explain much about the fact that such a person existed. This person looked so much like him. He had killed Kazahana. They didn't know who he was. But-
He couldn't stop staring at Koi. Damn, they were so alike! What was this man to him? To Koi? To Kazahana? How could he have killed her? And what had happened after he had done the deed?
This was making his head hurt.
Mutely, he nodded to Koi's suggestion, his eyes automatically going to Kazahana's face to try and gauge her view on this. He didn't even want to think how stupidly confused and alarmed he must have been looking at that moment.]
[Simon stood up as Koi was preparing to leave, the slight sickness he'd been feeling starting to dissipate just as the tension and suspicion in the air had. He smiled slightly at his father and gave him the tiniest of smiles and a brief, one-armed hug.]
I'll be home as soon as I can, Dad. We might be busy here for a while, though. See you later.
[He then turned to the other two and spoke in the same soft tone he'd used before.]
Are the two of you going to be alright? I'm not going to press for details, nor do I really want to know them, but- do you want me to leave as well?
[She curled up in her bed and drew the nearly kicked-off sheet up over her, suddenly even more tired now that the adrenaline was wearing off. She didn't want to look at any of them again right now, lest the confusion and shame show in her eyes.
She appreciated all of their concern, even Koi's—especially Koi's, for all that his arrival had turned things upside down—but she didn't know what else to do now. Wait for morning—then she'd decide.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
In the Coliseum. She's dead. Need help.
QUICKLOG
Kazahana, I'm-
[He was interrupted by Toushi's angry snarl and lowered his hands again. It seemed like things were going a bit out of control, and he had not come here to upset anyone - especially not Kazahana.
Who ever this boy was... something most have happened. But he could not fathom the sweet young man he had seen in his memory do anything that could upset the small woman this much.]
I will leave.
[He was grateful for Will's help, but Kazahana's health was the most important thing.]
QUICKLOG
[She struggled to get a grip on herself, but it was difficult when the unexpected shot of fear had only done so much to clear her mind, and every muscle in her body seemed to have gone rigid.
She didn't feel in control of anything right now, not even herself, and the face of the man who'd lured her, trapped her and murdered her was the last thing she'd expected tonight. Even if he looked as shocked as her her friends did, all she could remember was the triumphant sneer on his face before things had gone black.
But Simon and Toushi wouldn't let him hurt her, even if it felt like she was back there again. She had to get a grip.]
That's him. The man who killed me last year.
QUICKLOG
If you're Koi then prove it.
[In response to the rigidity in Kazahana's frame, his voice sounded wholly unconvinced. Still tense, he backed closer to the bed and stood slightly in front of her, but still within reach for him to drop a hand gently on her shoulder. His instincts screamed at him to get rid of this man, but he was torn by the desire to comfort his shaken friend. At her words his eyes widened in surprised then narrowed in disgust.]
You hear that? That guy killed her. How do we know he's not just pretending to be Koi?
[This was just... this was weird, even by the Tree's standards for him. He squeezed Kazahana's shoulder lightly, hoping the action could convey his sentiments. 'You're safe. I'm here with you. I won't let anyone hurt you again.']
QUICKLOG
He leaned in close to Kazahana and spoke in a soothing tone, the one he'd used when trying to calm his sister- his stomach gave a lurch at the memories.]
Kazahana. It's okay. If he intended to hurt you, he would have by now. I know he's in that body because I live with him... but...
[He looked helplessly at Koi.]
Bàba... if you think you should go... I don't want anybody to get hurt. This doesn't have to turn ugly.
[Simon then pressed a hand to his forehead. His mind was fogging, and the small amount of physical discomfort was still present.]
Why am I feeling lightheaded all of a sudden?
QUICKLOG
Waking up with this face made him realize that he had mistaken Toushi for the young man in his dream; he looked almost exactly like Toushi - there was no doubt that the two were related. Logic and resemblance said so, after all. If not twins or brothers, then at least cousins.
The man he had been speaking to could not have done such a terrible thing as this. While he had not heard a word, the way the other had been acting told of nothing else but kindness, stubbornness and a slightly goofy side. It had given him feeling of pride, family and trust. That he so instinctively reacted against Kazahana's accusation made Koi even more certain.
It couldn't be true. Please don't be true.
Putting a hand on Simon's shoulder, he shook his head softly.]
Sit down.
[You have enough on your mind as it is.]
Toushi. Tell me how to prove that I'm Koi.
[He would leave, but leaving now without reassuring both Toushi and Kazahana would only bring up more fear and terror for the girl. She needed to rest, and rest did not come easy for someone thinking that their murderer was afoot in Edensphere.]
QUICKLOG
The day I met Koi... what kinda cookies did he give me? And what did he tell me afterwards?
[It wasn't much to go on, but it was a start. Toushi didn't let up with his glare for one second, not while this was still unresolved.
It was freaky looking at someone who looked so similar. Really, really freaky. It unsettled him almost as much as Kazahana's insistence that a man wearing this face had killed her...
...Wait, her murderer had looked like him? Why hadn't she told him that? Damn it, that was way too much of a coincidence for his liking. Like it or not, he was going to make her talk about what had happened when she was feeling better.]
QUICKLOG
The man whose name she'd never known looked upset, but calm. Maybe even sincere. And if Simon thought he knew who he was, couldn't she trust him? But it seemed so wrong that Koi could ever be in the body of someone like that.
She focused on slowing her breathing as she waited for him to answer Toushi's question. She didn't know the answer, but Koi would. Until he spoke, she couldn't bring herself to say anything one way or the other.]
no subject
His head was spinning. Kazahana had died, and here Koi apparently was, in the body of her killer. He wished there was something he could do to make things better, or even fathom how she must be feeling at the moment. But he knew he was more or less helpless, and so he waited.]
no subject
Oatmeal. You couldn't choose so I said they were the best ones.
[There was a small, sad smile from the old man in the young body, and he looked at Toushi. No matter what was going on here, it was upsetting for all of them. Kazahana the most, but Toushi as well. They were so very alike, after all.]
You had come to visit me since you had my dream. We discussed it, and then I told you that I believed we were related. That I was your father... and you didn't think it was much to go on. We decided I should be there for you as a friend until we knew more.
no subject
He let his hand fall from Zangetsu; it balled into a fist at his side as he looked from Kazahana to the other man whose name he still hadn't got from anyone to... Koi. In a body that looked like his. That had killed Kazahana.]
Wh- what's going on? There's no way you can be anyone but Koi, but-
[This was almost too much to take.]
Who is he? Who the hell is this guy, Koi? Kazahana?
no subject
So this was Koi. It didn't look like him, but it did sound like him in a way, even if it wasn't his voice. He wasn't here to hurt her. That didn't make it much easier to have him here.]
I don't know.
[The statement was largely directed at Toushi, her voice softer, as though she'd used all her energy on going into a state of high-alert after Koi had arrived.]
I just saw his face. That's all.
[Hesitantly, she looked at Koi. Was he going to hate her now? But this wasn't either of their fault, was it?]
I'm sorry.
no subject
[He gave Kazahana a slight smile and shook his head.]
Think nothing of it. You do not need to apologize for anything.
[He nodded to Toushi and then gave Will's shoulder a small pat. It would be best if he left, now that Kazahana knew he was not the man that had harmed her.]
When your health is better, Kazahana, we need to talk about this. Together with Toushi. What ever is going on, we need to get to the bottom of it before something like this happens again.
[Koi turned to leave.]
Rest.
no subject
He couldn't stop staring at Koi. Damn, they were so alike! What was this man to him? To Koi? To Kazahana? How could he have killed her? And what had happened after he had done the deed?
This was making his head hurt.
Mutely, he nodded to Koi's suggestion, his eyes automatically going to Kazahana's face to try and gauge her view on this. He didn't even want to think how stupidly confused and alarmed he must have been looking at that moment.]
no subject
I'll be home as soon as I can, Dad. We might be busy here for a while, though. See you later.
[He then turned to the other two and spoke in the same soft tone he'd used before.]
Are the two of you going to be alright? I'm not going to press for details, nor do I really want to know them, but- do you want me to leave as well?
no subject
[She curled up in her bed and drew the nearly kicked-off sheet up over her, suddenly even more tired now that the adrenaline was wearing off. She didn't want to look at any of them again right now, lest the confusion and shame show in her eyes.
She appreciated all of their concern, even Koi's—especially Koi's, for all that his arrival had turned things upside down—but she didn't know what else to do now. Wait for morning—then she'd decide.]