Gouge, Smash, Cut, Pierce

I will start the purge!! Affiliated with Citta Alveare

[saezuris-blog]

After a while of wandering, the banchou decided to rest for a while. As he seemingly had all of his former privileges, including his weapon, cellphone and internet access, he decided to make use of them. Out of curiosity he took out his phone, flipped it open and scrolled through the contacts mindlessly.

    Until he saw a certain name on the display.

              JIN KISARAGI.

Kenji could feel the adrenaline rush through his veins. Jin-kun is still here. It was difficult to contain his sheer excitement. Hands trembling slightly, his eyes lit up and his lips curled into the biggest grin he could muster. Out of all the people that he was familiar with… Such a pleasant surprise.

Without missing a beat he pressed the call button and put the cellphone at his ear. Hopefully Jin would pick up his phone and not leave his dear old friend hanging.

    And he actually didn’t. As soon as the other picked up, the banchou spoke.

         “Ah, Jin-kun~ I haven’t spoken to you in ages! How have you been all this time? It’s me, Kenpei Banchou. I hope you haven’t forgotten about yours truly…”

[saezuris-blog]

Hive city, full of chaos, ruled by scientists, inhabited by their lab rats. A place where anyone could do anything they pleased, essentially. Isaki Kenji took in the familiar sights and sounds. He had returned to this place, but for what reason? He would think about that a little while later.

Right now he was happy to feel the familiar weight of his beloved blade upon his back. Canaria was with him, as he had it on him before he left. Everything that had been his in his city had been returned to him… Except for his housing. Not that he particularly minded, he was used to having no place to go back to. A small smile played upon his lips, watching the seemingly more diverse crowd pass by as he sauntered through sector 01.

    Was this an open invitation for the banchou to purge the Hive once more?

              Another opportunity to continuously hear Canaria’s beautiful voice sing throughout the night?

Although Kenji was unsure of it at this moment, his mind was spinning up how to survive in this city again. And who knew? Perhaps he’d find some familiar faces along the way…

[steponmebrother-blog]

He did not just wake up to this. Groggily, he regards the text left to him by an individual whom he oh so AFFECTIONATELY nicknamed “Eyeball Thief”. A sharp exhale leaves Jin Kisaragi’s lips as he rises from his bed, cellphone set aside on the nightstand by now. Kenpei’s text wasn’t of importance—it could WAIT a little while before receiving a response.

It takes about an hour for Jin Kisaragi to get himself ready for the day. An hour later, after he’s fully dressed and prepared for the day, he picks up his cellphone and at long last responds to this message.

TO: Kenpei Banchou FROM: Jin Kisaragi

MESSAGE:

[1/?] Good morning. How sweet of you to remember.

Ugh.

[2/2] I moved recently. Let’s pick a meetup spot, instead.

[saezuris-blog]

Well that response sure had taken him a while. Then again, Kenji did text him at an ungodly hour. He couldn’t blame Jin at all. At least he had spent his time productively. Cleaning up his apartment and polishing Canaria were part of that productivity.

TO: Jin-kun FROM: Kenpei Banchou

MESSAGE

[1/?] Congratulations on moving, you could have told me about it sooner though.

Oh well such was the ice queen; as if he’d tell someone like Kenji anything personal like that. That would be uncharacteristically warm for him.

[2/2] Well, I can go anywhere, where shall we meet up?

[saezuris-blog]

♡ @steponmebrother

Today is a special day. Not because of the commercial holiday that everyone loved to celebrate. Oh no no no, it was a very special someone’s birthday. It was so very special that Kenji had woken up earlier than usual to surprise the birthday boy in question.

     Whether he’d be happy with that or not was not important right now.

TO: Birthday boy Jin-kun FROM: Kenpei Banchou

MESSAGE

[1/?] Happy birthday Jin-kun! And also good morning sunshine I hope you had a good night’s worth of sleep. [2/?] Of course my humble self made you something for your birthday, you don’t even have to ask for that. It’s a given! [3/3] Don’t mind me coming over to give it to you personally, I bet you’ll love it. 

[caligulasampora-deactivated2019]

ERIDAN: yeah i mean i guess ERIDAN: humans dont really understand howw alternia wworks either ERIDAN: not that they evven really try to understand

Eridan thought that humans were probably incapable of understanding, but knew that saying that might upset his conversational partner. And it’s not like Eridan set out to get into fights with people. Usually. 

[saezuris-blog]

Alternia? Now that’s a place that the banchou had never heard of before. Perhaps it was something worth asking about. 

          “It’s quite difficult understanding a place you didn’t even know existed in the first place. My humble self supposes it has everything to do with experiences.”

[goosewithmanybells]

Is this really considered ‘small’, though? I mean, something like this must be pretty rare…

Looking like she’d swallowed something bitter, Kagura raises her chin to look upwards a bit– “It was not perfect for me, yes? It was perfect for Yato.”

“Even if it is painful, the sun is…” she trails off, before rewording herself. “It is hard to enjoy the rain if you know nothing else.”

She doesn’t really respond to the next part, merely averting her eyes to look at something that’s suddenly interesting on the ground. 

‘Lucky’– she thinks back to her brother, moments away from death by their own father, and then to her mother, her last light fading away in front of her. Those painful feelings…

And then to the warmth, of her brother holding her hand, teasing her as they carried groceries, their mother waiting in the door, arms wide. The excitement of when they received letters from their father.

“I am glad, yes. I would not want to forget any of it.”

[saezuris-blog]

Somehow it seemed like Kenji had hit some kind of sensitive spot in this young girl. Though he was someone who had a knack for hitting people where it hurts, this time it hadn’t been within his intentions. There had been no reason for him to act in such a way, this had been a friendly, yet strange and quirky talk before he had made this comment.

          “My apologies if I said something wrong. My humble self can be quite cold sometimes. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

To add more sincerity to his words, the look on his face matched what he had just told her.

[exorcistux]

ɴᴏsᴛᴀʟɢɪᴀ

[exorcistux]

He’s a bit surprised at how quietly the older boy follows him, paced and silent. Better yet, he’s amazed he decided to even follow him in the first place, considering he’s not entirely sure of the images in his head, nor of his ability to hold conversation. For a moment he regrets accepting, finding it hard to believe a stranger would find a talk with him engaging for more than a moment, but a quick head shake is able to at least shove those thoughts to the side.

Don’t think those things, they say. Easier said than done.

Nevertheless, it did strike a familiar chord at least. That meant something, didn’t it? Even if it wasn’t correct, maybe he could just pretend it was so he didn’t look like a fool. There’s a small nervous swallow as he takes in the other’s words, twisting the edges of his pockets in response with a small cough.

“I did…when I could. When I wasn’t out with somebody, or I was just…lonely. It was calm, and there was a nice table in the corner most people didn’t sit by–” He abruptly cuts himself off, cheeks tinting with an embarrassed shade of pink. There he goes again, saying unnecessary things.

< No, your life story is absolutely engaging. Go on, tell him about the time you fell off your bike when you were 11.  I’m sure he’d love to hear it! >

Eyes squeezing shut and a shake of the head follow, seemingly out of the blue to people around them, and he quickly turns with an anxious smile to the one he’s with.

“W-Well, I guess we could go look either way. It’s kind of cold, so the sooner the better, right? I’m sure you don’t want to stay out here…”

[saezuris-blog]

Kenji wasn’t someone who easily discarded people, not in this way at least. He had a very high amount of patience when it came to conversation, not to mention the fact that he didn’t very much mind some doubt. He’d get answers sooner or later, but the extra information he gathered along the way was very much worth it as well.

     There was a certain amount of value in everything. Even knowing about someone’s old experiences.

Remembering those and bringing them up in future conversations was something that could bring a certain kind of comfort, for instance. A sense that someone had listened and remembered, a sense that you mattered to them. Conversation was such a strong bonding tool, really. It was something that the banchou had learned throughout his life. Words held a certain power that a sword couldn’t grant people.

     Luckily he had gotten himself a pretty good grasp on both swordsmanship skills and conversational skills alike.

          “A nice table that most people didn’t sit by and...? Please, I asked because I was curious, there’s no need to cut yourself off.”

Kenji answered the anxious smile with a more calming smile of his own, trying to reassure him that everything was fine. He was right, it was very cold outside and it’d be much better inside, whether this was the place that he had regularly visited in the past or not.

          “Let us. It’ll be good to be inside, with a nice warm cup of tea and some cheesecake, like we talked about.”

[shukusho-blog]

【 ⑉⑈⑇⑈ 】Fujisaki found comfort in the panes of baked goods and brewed tea. The cup of his own, steeped with orange peels and hibiscus, still bubbled steam from its swill. The persistency left his plate of biscuits to run a little cold, yet both were fairly untaken to.

     Predictably, he was more focused on that screen of his, tinkering away at some lines of code, adding the periodical thought on a different document. What to add next, what interrupted his thoughts, how he suddenly felt, if a wave of uncertainty settled and how … just above the ankles, to the knees, to his neck … was he drowning ?

     Not quite. The tide of his anxiety had not rolled in at all today, which kept him pleasantly dry. Dry ? Has his tea simmered ? Ignoring the faint ghost of his drink, he steals a sip. Still a little hot, but to a tolerable, enjoyable tier.

     Today was quite nice, though. Fairly pleasant. He worked the morning shift and took the rest of the day off for his personal and school work. How better to suit his focus than a favorite cafe ? He smiled to himself, coupling a bite into his biscuit with another sip of tea. Rolling a crumb from his chin to his plate, he caught the eye of a taut, tall figure. He was asking if he could sit.

     Well, he just couldn’t say no ! Why not ?

     He smiled sweetly, and hurriedly made to move his laptop. ❝ O-Oh sure ! Sorry, I’ve got quite a bit here for myself. I’ll make enough room for you, though. ❞

[saezuris-blog]

He was welcomed so kindly by this stranger, even her laptop was set aside so that they could have a proper face-to-face conversation. It seemed that he hadn’t been mistaken about Normally it was ill-advised to judge someone by their appearance, as people could look a lot more friendly than they really were. Kenji was an embodiment of this rule; though his appearance and mannerisms were prim and proper, beneath that surface lurked a bloodthirsty murderer.

     Though he most certainly felt he hadn’t been as bloodthirsty as before.

It was truly needed, this talk with someone who had never seen him before. A stranger was the perfect mediator in such a deep issue.

           “Thank you very much, it’s most kind that you set aside your work for little old me.”

The banchou immediately settled in a more casual tone of conversation, as kind as his strict manners would allow him to be. He sat down, putting his warm cup of tea down again. He was lucky to wear gloves, as he would have probably hurt his hands otherwise. The tea of the cute girl in front of him hit his nose and caused him to smile even more. That was such a calming fragrance, much more so than his own green tea. Perhaps because it was a blend he had never really considered before. Who knew.

          “Let us start with introductions first and foremost. My name is Isaki Kenji, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance...”

It was unusual for Kenji to introduce himself by his name, rather than his title, but this talk was a little easier when the other knew his actual name. This wasn’t the kind of conversation that he wanted to do under any sort of guise or pretense. All he hoped was that his conversational partner was alright with some heavy topics.

[saezuris-blog]

Recipes were spread across his apartment kitchen counter, with more bowls and pans strewn about elsewhere. Normally Kenji didn’t like being messy, but he was busy right now. He had only a week to perfect these, so he had to hurry up.

Too bad he wasn’t such a sweet tooth himself, so trying his on concoctions was somewhat of an issue. He’d persevere though, for a certain ice queen’s birthday he would. Not to mention it’d make for a funny joke.

So he struggled on, wondering whether or not he needed to add more sugar or not.

[saezuris-blog]

“Heartfelt” reunion

[kiryustyled]

He doesn’t know how to take his (former, he can’t forget, former) senior’s actions combined with his words except with a healthy dose of unease and wariness. No matter what either of them say or do now, it doesn’t change anything. The promise of revenge still burns deep within his chest.

It’s confusing.

Feeling the other give him a tap on the shoulder while passing by – at least, he thinks, he manages not to shrink away on contact – he realizes they have, in fact, both been standing in the road. Although the area is, for the most part, deserted (and they’re actually fairly close to the sidewalk, to boot), it’s probably just asking for something horrific to happen.

He’s slow and more than a bit hesitant to follow his (former) senior, but there really isn’t any reason to believe any harm will befall him, at least not yet. There’s definitely some remnant of propriety left in him, even if it isn’t readily apparent; there won’t be any sneak attacks from this man.

Touya trails behind the other as they walk, briefly uncertain as to where they’re going until the other gestures to a small café on the corner. Close up, it seems highly… inappropriate, far too modern for his tastes, but it is mostly empty, with few others than the tired-looking employees within.

He waits for the other to sit before doing so himself.

<<This isn’t exactly what I had in mind, but – >>

[saezuris-blog]

     Touya wasn’t the only one who was confused.

Although Kenji liked to pretend that his head was clear about the matter, it most certainly wasn’t. The longer this went on the more unease started to crawl up in the back of his head. As much as he wanted to act like there was nothing wrong, pretend like they were just like old times (as their animosity had most certainly not been a thing of recent times), it was impossible considering what had transpired between then and now.

The banchou took a short breath after sitting down, internally calming himself before speaking again. He had to clear up any cloudiness in his mind, clarity was most important in this situation.

           “Allow me to be honest with you, Touya-kun. I didn’t quite think that our meeting would end up like this either. Let us try to make the best out of it. Perhaps compose some haiku while we’re at it. Some actual peace and quiet is difficult to find, so wasting this moment wouldn’t be a good idea either.”

He ordered some tea for the both of them and gazed at nothing for a short while. Yes, in this city peace was hard to come by. There were too many people, too much conflict, too little control.. It was somewhat of a miracle that both he and Touya-kun were here. Was it a sign? No, Kenji didn’t quite believe in that stuff. For now he’d let ideas for haiku go through his head instead, a perfect distraction from what was plaguing him.

[saigonoshinko-deactivated201711]

[ ☠ ] The young solider was a man of his own code and honor even under the wings of his troop he sworn loyalty to. Jean raised a brow as he noticed a voice was directed to him as he looked over his shoulder. At first, he was confused at who was this stranger but he seemed of a military standing based on his outfit. It just screamed military to the young male. 

        “I just arrived in this cursed city with no way out of here. Name’s Jean.”

[saezuris-blog]

Though Kenji’s outfit screamed military, he was no part of an actual army. No this outfit was a tradition that he had held onto and claimed for himself in a fight to change his country. The banchou smiled dimly at the response he got.

          “Ah, I see. I’ve been here a while now, my name is Isaki Kenji. It’s nice to make your acquaintance.”

[refutable]

@saezuris

          Upon prior agreement through brief e-mails, she picked up on another sparring partner in the city through an advertisement; time after time she finds many of the random people she picks up on are either easily worn out or flake out, but even between her expeditions with the mercenary corps has she been finding boredom in her spare time, simple workouts simply not cutting it for the soldier. With the arrangement being mostly to establish if he would meet up with her expectations, she figures to set it up at a small tea shop in Sector Four; while it’s not necessarily unfriendly, it’s not particularly inviting either. Being the only other individual at the locale this time of day, the uniformed man who she immediately notices could only be the one she contacted, otherwise she’d be at a loss.  ❝ You are… Isaki-san, right? ❞

[saezuris-blog]

In his desperation for a proper sparring partner, Kenji had decided to scour the city’s networks for any advertisements. Of course it had been a little silly, but seeing as he had now established contact with someone he had deemed most interesting, it seemed that ads for sparring partners were a thing after all.

In his, now well-hidden, excitement for a proper sparring partner the banchou had gone to the arranged location a little earlier than their agreed upon time. He had gone there with a small skip in his step and a song in his head. Though he hadn’t whistled it while walking there from his apartment, he had almost wanted to. He had never thought finding someone to spar with would do his mood this well, but here he was.

So when he finally stood face to face with his future sparring partner, his happiness was difficult to mask. A small smile played on his lips when she said his name.

          “Yes, that’s me. That must mean you are Ikusaba-san. It’s a pleasure to meet you in person.”

[saezuris-blog]

↫We meet again..

@steponmebrother

This city was nothing like the one he usually went to for groceries. As a matter of fact, no matter where young Kenji looked, he couldn’t find anywhere that looked remotely close to his way home. Although it was confusing and quite scary, the aspiring swordsman knew how to keep his cool.

Panic would only make things more difficult for him, that he was aware of. Sensei had told him many times that those sorts of emotions cloud the mind and dull the blade. There was nothing he had to get scared about: He was simply lost in a place that he did not know.

The only logical thing to do was ask someone where he could go. Luckily someone a little older than him was just up ahead. He approached the blond and spoke up.

          “Excuse me, but my humble self is lost. Do you know where I can exit this city?”

He bowed while asking, it was only polite to do so while interrupting someone’s day. After bowing he couldn’t help but notice the other had a sword on his person. If he could not get home, then perhaps asking about that was the best next step.

[saezuris-blog]

{{ I am very late with this

For this event Kenpei will have regressed in age back to when he was only 10 years old.

Little Isaki Kenji is not too different from who he will be in the future, there are just certain key factors that make the difference seem far more radical than it really is.

This big-eyed child is just as well-mannered and cultured as his future self is, however he is far less emotionally inclined. He’s still a student in the midst of training, therefore he doesn’t mess around a lot. He takes his tasks at hand very seriously and performs them dutifully. Because he was thought that warriors need to be able to detach themselves from dire situations he has very little empathy and due to his upbringing he can get overly polite to strangers, especially when they are older.

[saezuris-blog]

“Heartfelt” reunion

[kiryustyled]

He doesn’t know how to react to this display of… well, he’s not sure what this is. A twisted combination of sentimentality and a temporary peace offering all in one? Touya had, in truth, expected the other to attempt to fight him regardless of what was said, given how callously he had cut down their master several years before. 

And, as much as it is distasteful and disgracing to admit to himself, he realizes that he is not prepared to fight this man yet, even if they are technically on even footing, so to speak. Hearing the other speak with such a strangely mocking – yet evocative of nostalgic yearning for the past – tone of voice makes him realize he is, perhaps, a bit too soft. He hates it so very much. But – 

<<’Clouds appear / and bring to men a chance to rest / from looking at the moon.’>> The words fall from his tongue smoothly and with a familiar ease in spite of his misgivings about his senior – former senior’s temporary change of heart.

<<I haven’t written anything in all the time since you left, but I can still recite it properly, as we were taught.>> He pauses, hesitating for once as to what to say, before continuing. <<What I meant was that we could stand to call a truce for now. I cannot pretend you did not… kill our master, but to take a break from pursuing vengeance for now would be – >>

– his fist unclenches the handle of the wooden weapon he’s been gripping so tightly, falls to rest at his side –

<< – Well, it would not be so terrible.>> He thinks of the metaphor he attempted to draw, relaxes his shoulders, and inhales deeply. When the clouds parted and the opportunity shone through for him to take proper vengeance for their teacher, he would do so. But now, he needed to wait.

<<…Isaki-san.>>

[saezuris-blog]

It was strange to hear his junior speak to him this way, no, it was something that Kenji had not sought behind him at all. Not here, not at this moment and most certainly not after what they had been through. Although he was certain that Touya wouldn’t fight him with this pathetic excuse for a sword, he hadn’t expected him to be so lenient about the situation at all. Perhaps the situation this city put him had an effect on how his fellow perceived things.

     So he hadn’t written anything after their master’s passing had he..?

With a soft smile on his face, the senior nodded in understanding to his juniors words. They were sound and clear Of course he shouldn’t forget his desire for vengeance: Giving that up would be foolish at best, and a death wish at worst. His words reflected this sentiment.

          “There is no need to let go of your grudges, Touya-kun. As a matter of fact, my humble self would personally cut you down if you permanently gave up on your duty for sentimentalities such as these.”

He took a few steps closer to his junior, smile still plastered on his face, despite having just spilled those words. For now this somewhat extraordinary peace was something that he did feel like. An opportunity to innocently poke at Touya-kun again, have a moment to reconnect with his old self. The swordsman patted his fellow on the shoulder, while walking past him.

           “Well then, let us find a place to sit down peacefully and take our time, rather than standing around here in the middle of the street.”

Slowly he started moving into the direction of a small nearby cafe, it didn’t seem to busy either. An ideal place for idle banter and bittersweet recollections of what once was, or so Kenji thought. With a curt gesture he pointed out their destination and calmly made his way over there, his eyes closed.

[caligulasampora-deactivated2019]

ERIDAN: nothin on earth evven makes sense ERIDAN: seriously its like you humans can nevver make up your minds ERIDAN: evven your planet cant decide wwhat temperature to be

Humans in general are weird, Eridan decided.

[saezuris-blog]

This individual obviously didn’t really understand how the earth functioned as a planet, but would Kenji try to bother explaining it to him? No... He was a patient fellow, but that would test his patience just a little too much.

         “It makes sense when one understands the system, but it’s all just a matter of perspective.”

[inqeradarchive]

Excited is a terrible understatement; what lights up his eyes are flickers of the very passion that flows through his veins. Everything he’s done up until now (prior to realizing the nature of this city, at least) has been for the sake of his country, his people, and his world. That aside, both his tone and his expression adopt a certain seriousness when a question is posed. 

“You’re right: ruling a country is not such an easy task, no matter what others might lead you to believe. In fact… I wonder sometimes if leading a peaceful nation may be more difficult than leading one that’s often at war, if only with itself.” He allows a moment for the words to settle, then continues forward as visions of past kings (not of Sindria, but of Parthevia, of Balbadd) dance in his head. “A king who cares not for the happiness or well-being of his citizens will have a much easier time ruling than one whose aim is not only peace, but happiness and prosperity as well. If your only goal is wealth, material gain, or something along those lines… when the lives of your citizens are little more than numbers on a page, a mere statistic during times of war… I imagine it’s much easier, yes.”

A hardened sigh slips from his lips, betraying the contempt he hides toward those who might lead with such philosophies and frail morals. “But I can’t imagine living or leading that way. What right has anyone to be a king if their only motivation is their own personal gain?”

[saezuris-blog]

          “I will never simply assume things, sir. My judgement are either based on personal experience or multiple expert opinions.”

Kenji pondered over what the other said, letting it all sink in. Things such as good leadership, true leadership and the importance of subjects and their happiness... It was such a complex, but also important topic to consider. When it came to himself, well truthfully he had never been the considerate or empathetic type. Unfit to be a ruler and more fit for the position of a warrior or personal guardian. The cruel things he would have to do in those positions would not affect him as they could affect others at least.

     Though the banchou did wonder whether or not Nippon Banchou would really care once he ruled.

          “Where I am from we would consider a warmongering ruler to be an unfit one. Someone to be replaced or overthrown. Though mostly they play their selfishness in a coy and underhanded way, so that the general public doesn’t notice their violence or greed. This is what my humble self has noticed where I am from and it is both upsetting and infuriating.”

Even if it did sound hypocritical for someone as violent as Kenji himself, he at least knew that he was an unfit ruler himself. He would simply work under someone he would think of as a fitting superior.