斎藤 一

saitou hajime, hakuouki. nobody. apartment t-3. rasetsu (not human). can regenerate from wounds inflicted by anything other than silver. 24 years old. legal secretary. affiliated with citta.

[laeva]

@amxngstars

Dear Leon,

I have spent many days wandering the streets of this city, seeing nothing but the ghosts of my past; you were among the first to lead me back to the living, to teach me that there is more yet to be done. Though I never found a purpose for my blade, I feel as if the time spent with you was reason enough to rise with the sun. You are still young, immature with naivety and fear, but there is more to you than you realize: You had the courage to engage with a man trapped in time, to bring him out of his shell. I know it requires patience to deal with the likes of me and for that I wanted to say thank you.

I cannot explain why, but I feel as though it is finally time for this wretched body to be lain to rest. Please take care of yourself as you have done so for me.

- Saitou Hajime

[laeva]

Thank you to everyone who’s RPed with me and Saitou; I’m going to have to drop him for the time being, aaaa. It’s been a blast, though!

[laeva]

shoves saitou on hiatus. for the next few weeks or so, just assume he’s tidying up his place and making sure leon doesn’t die from starvation and bathes regularly or something.

[landsharkbite-archived]

“Heh. Good, but sure as hell not easy.”

Rosa knew this tactic of his too well, as it was one she used rather often herself. Position others toward center stage to make it easier to stay low on the radar. It was effective self preservation when there was too much floating around in one’s own skull to sort out.

“Y'know, I think there’s a good pho place over that way around this hour,” Rosa suggested, pointing down a side alley that cut directly across to the next street over. “If you need, I can show you.”

[laeva]

“Pho?” he echoes, semi-aware of the topic but certainly no expert on it. Whatever information he knows, he only ever shares if he’s confident. Thus, Saitou remains quiet as he allows this strange woman to escort him.

The people who come here, who hail from different lands and cultures, are all rather keen in ensuring their women know how to defend themselves. From a practical standpoint, it makes sense. In regards to how he’s been raised and what he knows, it confuses him; why are things so different here?

Saitou peers over at the woman and decides to speak up, “Who taught you how to fight?”

[laeva]

I know I owe juvilation, circusagent, and tracktwo. Will be getting to all that in the coming days. Just need to find my muse.

[laeva]

smol starter ad for saitou ~ cap is at 2, castmates and other samurai/honorable warriors exempt!

[landsharkbite-archived]

“Hmm.”

Something about that statement suggested a more deeply buried struggle than what his words expressed. Even she could notice the weight on the young man’s shoulders that only lifted with a conscious effort. It caused a small frown to tug at her features.

“Eh, I’d say the same. Been cooped up most of the day, but I knew I’d need a breather sooner or later. Are you looking for any sort of place in particular?”

[laeva]

“One that will take me,” he explains, saying little more; his words are simple and vague, yet there is a wealth of information in the gleam of his eyes. Like a stray lamb wanting to return to its flock, he turns his head every which way, unable to make sense of the stimuli flooding him. 

“It’s good that you’re out and about, no?” Shift the focus away from himself and onto her instead.

[amxngstars-blog]

      【★】Yeah, he knew that wasn’t going to hit home with him. It was worth a shot. At least he didn’t have to do any further explaining. Soon enough, he had led him to the outside of the apartment building and towards some civilization. These tacos were important to him. 

               “Yeah, yeah. Ya’ won’t have to. ‘m a big boy, I can eat my own damn food. Ya’ should be excited to be havin’ tacos too, ya’ know? I know it’s hard for ya’ to show anythin’ other than yer normal stoic appearance.”

[laeva]

Saitou snorts.

“I show emotion on occasion. You’re just not quick enough to notice.”

That there was a joke. He’s notoriously bad at them.

[amxngstars-blog]

     【★】”Ya’ know how sometimes ya’ look at a hot person, and everythin’ is good? Now imagine that hot person talkin’ about literal shit. It kinda kills the image.” He’s explaining this to someone who more than likely will not pick up on what he’s trying to say here. Such is life with Leon Kuwata.

               “Can’t ya’ let me live my life? And binge eat? Tacos are worth it.”

[laeva]

That one goes right over his head. Saitou just stares at him, unimpressed as ever with the way this city ran itself into the ground. He shakes his head and murmurs in placation, “Sure.”

A sigh slips past and he finally gives up. It’s not his gut that’ll be complaining later. “I’m not helping you finish your food if you order too much.”

[laeva]

Outside of the interaction Saitou has with his coworker Beauty, I’m considering all threads pre-September dropped. Notify me if you’re actually still waiting on a response from me!

[crybabyace-deactivated20160103]

Run, run, run, to the Cities of the Future (CA Open/Intro)

So, this wasn’t ideal. But it wasn’t necessarily bad, either.

The last thing he remembered was disappearing. It wasn’t painful or anything… and he didn’t remember being all that sad. Yeah, it meant leaving Yuna behind. But if he could leave behind a world where she and the rest of Spira could be happy, then… maybe it wouldn’t be so bad, right? He’d been more than willing to place himself in harm’s way at every chance he got. From defeating Seymour to finally telling his old man what he thought of him.

Though… by the time he actually reached Sin… his hatred for his old man had faded. Just a little bit. But because of the stories Yuna had told him and the spheres he’d found scattered throughout Spira… he was able to see him for the man he really was. Not the jerk who was force-feeding him tough love hoping that it wouldn’t turn him into a crybaby.

But that wasn’t the point here. He was in an unfamiliar city with unfamiliar faces all around him. Which wasn’t exactly his ideal situation. In fact, it was frustratingly familiar to the point where he almost wanted to scream. Almost. But he’d have to hold off on that. Maybe this was Spira. Maybe it was another future.

Despite this thought, which was very disturbing and something he definitely didn’t want to think about, he was rushing from vantage point to vantage point. He’d stop occasionally, place his index finger and his thumb into his mouth and let loose an impressive whistle. He’d pause for a moment, concentrating and trying to hear if another whistle came echoing back to him.

Nothing.

He sighed, falling back onto his rear in the middle of the sidewalk in a pouty sort of way. “Figures… Guess I shouldn’t have really gotten my hopes up just yet… This place stinks.”

[laeva]

The noise startles him at first, pulling him out of his morning reverie and back into the hellhole that is Hive City. As reality overwhelms his focus, his breaths grow shallow and his gaze narrows. His head snaps back as he scans the streets for the source of the whistling. Who’s doing that?

Anxiously, he marches down the road, a stern look etched upon his face.

It’s not long before he finds a young man seated on the curbside. Saitou slows for a moment, debating whether or not to intervene, before walking on past in search of the neighborhood annoyance--he’s three paces away when he abruptly spins upon his heel and peers down at the young man.

“You’ll get hit if you’re not careful. Get up.”

[beautyfoundinoblivion-blog]

“It’s hard to miss an entire world, isn’t it?  You must miss yours.”  He’s hesitating.  These are the sorts of things he tries hard to not talk about, but it’s hard to focus on anything, and it’s easy to talk and ramble like that. “There’s nothing quite like the Underworld here.  I miss it more than I thought I would.”

[laeva]

His reasons for nostalgia are not the same as Beauty’s--unless they are, but he hasn’t thought to ask his coworker such a personal question. Thus he assumes that the context differs between the two of them and holds back a wry smile. It’s less the world he misses than it is the era and the people. His world had already began to crumble away nineteen years into his life, just shy of his second decade.

“We never know what we have until it is gone. But we adapt because we’ve no other choice. You seem capable enough.”

[landsharkbite-archived]

laeva

Despite Rosa’s initial frustration with Sector One’s ever shifting layout upon her arrival in the city, it was a circumstance she was becoming accustomed to. She might have even gone so far as to say she’d found some strange comfort in it. As the different buildings and establishments constantly shuffled so did she, enjoying the prospect of being harder to find far more than she’d admit aloud.

Rosa knew the same couldn’t be said for others however. She understood that navigating this enigmatic district could be terribly daunting when one had a defined need or location in mind. Closed she could be, but not so cruel as to withhold a point in the right direction from the odd stranger here and there.

Perhaps she was wrong, but there may have been need to provide that service again.

“Oy. You find what you came for, or are you just as lost as you look?”

[laeva]

He must be out of it if people think him lost; Saitou turns his head ever so slightly, casting a glance over his shoulder. Ah, they’re tense. He exhales through his lips, allowing his body to relax ever so slightly. It’s not enough by his own standards, but at least it corrects any misconceptions between himself and the woman calling out to him.

“That depends. What I’m looking for is more than just a place. Presently, however, I just need a place to eat.”

Come to think of it, he’s been rather isolated at work. Documents end up on his desk but he rarely sees his coworkers. The toil and wear of his circumstances must be adding up.

“What about yourself?”

[laeva]

souji, hijikata.

SOUJI - A cause or an individual they would die for.

Hijikata, of course. As for a cause, Saitou fully intended to die leading a life dedicated to the way of the samurai - his honor is pretty much the most important thing to him. Or at least it was until he wound up in this city. Now he’s picking up the pieces of his broken self, trying to figure out what it is he’s alive for.

HIJIKATA - A sacrifice they (would) regret making.

Saitou pretends he’s come to terms with being a rasetsu (lesser demon), but he’s all messed up in the head because he can no longer view himself as human. The choice was obvious at the time - do or die - but now it’s left its mark and he can’t turn back the clock.

[laeva]

YAMAZAKI, HEISUKE

YAMAZAKI - Someone they admire and aspire to be like.

Hijikata Toshizou, most definitely. Saitou would lay his life down for the vice-commander; he himself isn’t quite so bold and daring, and he wants very much to emulate Hijikata’s spirit and passion. Saitou, despite all his maturity, is still very young and unsure of what it is he wants. He’s still figuring out how to think for himself, so he really looks up to Hijikata.

HEISUKE - A difficult choice that put them at odds with their friends and/or loved ones.

Joining the Itou faction. Granted, Saitou was merely spying on them, but he had to be convincing. Only a handful of people knew he hadn’t really defected (but the choice wasn’t all that difficult for him). He basically put his blind faith in Hijikata and merely followed orders. All was well when his comrades realized he was as loyal as ever.

[laeva]

Send me a name and my muse will explain...

CHIZURU - Love in their own words and whether or not it’s worth seeking. HEISUKE - A difficult choice that put them at odds with their friends and/or loved ones. SOUJI - A cause or an individual they would die for. SAITOU - Something integral to their identity. SANOSUKE - How they define happiness in their own words. HIJIKATA - A sacrifice they (would) regret making. KAZAMA - Their inner demons and how they cope with them (or fail to). KONDOU - Dreams and aspirations they had to let go of. SANNAN - What failure means to them in their own words. YAMAZAKI - Someone they admire and aspire to be like. IBUKI - What passion means in their own words. SENHIME - If honor before duty has its place under certain circumstances.

[amxngstars-blog]

     【★】Leon tends not to realize there’s a thing called personal space anyway, and he tends to forget that his roommate is a little behind the times. The easiest way to make someone move quicker is dragging them, wasn’t that the same no matter what B.C time you were born in? Either way, he doesn’t bother letting go as he made his way down the flights of stairs. 

              “Ya’ know, yer really ruinin’ the mood here talkin’ ‘bout my bowel movements. I’ll be fine, thanks. Worry ‘bout yerself.” 

[laeva]

“I didn’t realize there was a mood,” he quips right back, as serious as ever. Or he would’ve been, were it not for the quirk of his brow. Saitou’s joking around, never mind how difficult it is to tell with this one.

“I’ll worry about myself when I know for a fact you aren’t wittingly subjecting yourself to hours of pain.”