Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!
Open, but be aware that some stuff will go down
Moderator: BRAU2 Director
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almostinhuman
- Posts: 650
- Joined: Sun Jul 12, 2020 7:06 pm
He could not even be allowed to have this moment of agony in peace, it seemed. Bullets tore through the air above, rendering all of Kyoichi's prior worries insignificant. He stayed curled on the ground, immobilized in mortal terror. Eyes still closed and covered, he had no idea what was happening, whether Inada or Shimizu were okay, whether it was one of them shooting, even. He just had to desperately hope the hail of bullets ceased.
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almostinhuman
- Posts: 650
- Joined: Sun Jul 12, 2020 7:06 pm
One moment, Inada was rising to move, to reach out to him, as Shimizu had. The next, she was face-first on the ground, agony blooming across her back, the pain rendering every nerve raw and useless. She had been so preoccupied watching Motobuchi break down that she hadn't seen it coming. She felt the desperate urge to scream, but she couldn't bring any sound to her mouth. She could only lay there, feeling with grim certainty just how doomed she was.
With agonizing effort, she managed to lift her head enough to see Motobuchi and Shimizu, both laid out across the ground. Neither seemed hit by the blast; only she'd had the misfortune of that.
As she let her face fall back into the dirt, she hoped it'd stay that way.
With agonizing effort, she managed to lift her head enough to see Motobuchi and Shimizu, both laid out across the ground. Neither seemed hit by the blast; only she'd had the misfortune of that.
As she let her face fall back into the dirt, she hoped it'd stay that way.
Niida-san’s uzi made the familiar tut-tut-tut to indicate its empty belly. Yuichiro lowered the weapon in his shaking hand, looking at the scene ahead of him.
No-one was stood there anymore. He couldn’t see Shimizu-san, but Inada-san had hit the floor. Shimizu-san had probably just fallen out of sight somewhere. He hadn't kept his eyes open the whole time, he had to admit.
He considered moving forwards. He wanted to make sure the deed was done, that Shimizu-san and Inada-san were saved. He could add their guns to his collection too. That was a morbid thought.
He wanted to, or felt like he had to, but he couldn’t. He remembered how everyone else had looked after they’d been saved. He didn’t like it. He didn’t want to make himself look at it. Make himself look at his friends' corpses, even if they were free now.
He knew he should’ve, that it was the responsible thing to do. But he had done what he had to do. He had saved two more people. That was OK, right?
Maybe it was. Maybe it wasn’t. He didn’t stick around long enough to decide.
((Yuichiro Takiguchi continued in End of Innocentia))
No-one was stood there anymore. He couldn’t see Shimizu-san, but Inada-san had hit the floor. Shimizu-san had probably just fallen out of sight somewhere. He hadn't kept his eyes open the whole time, he had to admit.
He considered moving forwards. He wanted to make sure the deed was done, that Shimizu-san and Inada-san were saved. He could add their guns to his collection too. That was a morbid thought.
He wanted to, or felt like he had to, but he couldn’t. He remembered how everyone else had looked after they’d been saved. He didn’t like it. He didn’t want to make himself look at it. Make himself look at his friends' corpses, even if they were free now.
He knew he should’ve, that it was the responsible thing to do. But he had done what he had to do. He had saved two more people. That was OK, right?
Maybe it was. Maybe it wasn’t. He didn’t stick around long enough to decide.
((Yuichiro Takiguchi continued in End of Innocentia))
Hirono kept her head down for a long time. Even after the shooting stopped, she was afraid to look up.
But eventually, she raised her head and looked at the others. She saw Motobuchi. He looked scared, curled up on the ground as though he was hoping that he could roll up like a pillbug and roll away. At least that's what he reminded Hirono of when he was curled up like that.
Her eyes moved further towards Inada and... oh no. Oh, no no no no no no no. She saw blood. This couldn't be happening again, not already.
"Inada..." The girl's name left Hirono's lips softly, but audibly as she spoke it in shock.
It was happening again.
But eventually, she raised her head and looked at the others. She saw Motobuchi. He looked scared, curled up on the ground as though he was hoping that he could roll up like a pillbug and roll away. At least that's what he reminded Hirono of when he was curled up like that.
Her eyes moved further towards Inada and... oh no. Oh, no no no no no no no. She saw blood. This couldn't be happening again, not already.
"Inada..." The girl's name left Hirono's lips softly, but audibly as she spoke it in shock.
It was happening again.
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almostinhuman
- Posts: 650
- Joined: Sun Jul 12, 2020 7:06 pm
Even as the storm of gunfire ceased, Kyoichi couldn't move. He didn't trust that the shooting wouldn't start up again the second he budged. He could do little but lie on the ground, desperately suppressing the urge to scream.
Then Shimizu spoke. He didn't quite hear her, but it at least meant she was okay, and if she was speaking the danger had probably passed. It was enough to just barely draw him out of his cowering. He peered through his fingers, seeing Shimizu behind the nearby trees. She was thankfully unharmed, but she seemed distressed, staring past Kyoichi to something behind him. He knew, without needing to look himself, what she saw. He didn't want to look, as if not looking would somehow make it not true, but he knew he had to. He pulled himself off the ground and turned around to face the inevitable.
Inada lay face-down in the grass, bleeding severely from a semicircle of wounds across her back.
"... I-Inada."
He scrambled to his knees, crawling to her, determined to do something, anything, despite how obvious it was that it was far too late.
"INADA!"
Then Shimizu spoke. He didn't quite hear her, but it at least meant she was okay, and if she was speaking the danger had probably passed. It was enough to just barely draw him out of his cowering. He peered through his fingers, seeing Shimizu behind the nearby trees. She was thankfully unharmed, but she seemed distressed, staring past Kyoichi to something behind him. He knew, without needing to look himself, what she saw. He didn't want to look, as if not looking would somehow make it not true, but he knew he had to. He pulled himself off the ground and turned around to face the inevitable.
Inada lay face-down in the grass, bleeding severely from a semicircle of wounds across her back.
"... I-Inada."
He scrambled to his knees, crawling to her, determined to do something, anything, despite how obvious it was that it was far too late.
"INADA!"
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almostinhuman
- Posts: 650
- Joined: Sun Jul 12, 2020 7:06 pm
Inada couldn't move anymore.
Above her, she could hear Motobuchi, crying out her name in desperation. She wanted to look up at him, try to quell this, but she couldn't. She couldn't do anything for him, or Eto, or Minami, or especially herself.
Things were fading rapidly. She'd half-expected Ahura Mazda to finally properly show himself to her here. She'd done her best, that was enough, right? But she'd known better, on some level. It'd been a shield from the reality of where they were, and it'd ultimately failed to save her.
She just barely managed to move her hand to touch the crystal around her neck before everything went dark.
Above her, she could hear Motobuchi, crying out her name in desperation. She wanted to look up at him, try to quell this, but she couldn't. She couldn't do anything for him, or Eto, or Minami, or especially herself.
Things were fading rapidly. She'd half-expected Ahura Mazda to finally properly show himself to her here. She'd done her best, that was enough, right? But she'd known better, on some level. It'd been a shield from the reality of where they were, and it'd ultimately failed to save her.
She just barely managed to move her hand to touch the crystal around her neck before everything went dark.
G01 MIZUHO INADA - DECEASED
"Inada..."
Hirono repeated the girl's name, knowing full well that it would likely be the last time that it ever passed her lips. She knew that nothing could be done. Another person was dying, and the only thing she had the power to do was stand there and watch. Just like Tsuioka.
Motobuchi was on his knees above Inada's body, crying her name. She reasoned that this must be even harder for him to accept than it was for her. He had been with Inada before he met up with her on the island, and he had seemed so happy to find her again. Come to think of it, it was the same way with Tsuioka too, even though that specific relationship took a little longer to properly blossom.
She reached out and placed a shaky hand on Motobuchi's shoulder as he looked over the body of his fallen comrade. Eto, Nakagawa, and now Inada. Three people were dead in such a short time, and they had a relation to all three events. Maybe people were getting more aggressive now that they were so close to the end. Hirono didn't know. She just wanted to live.
Hirono's silence hid the hurricane of thoughts in her head as she remained with the grieving Motobuchi for a time.
(Hirono Shimizu continued elsewhere...)
Hirono repeated the girl's name, knowing full well that it would likely be the last time that it ever passed her lips. She knew that nothing could be done. Another person was dying, and the only thing she had the power to do was stand there and watch. Just like Tsuioka.
Motobuchi was on his knees above Inada's body, crying her name. She reasoned that this must be even harder for him to accept than it was for her. He had been with Inada before he met up with her on the island, and he had seemed so happy to find her again. Come to think of it, it was the same way with Tsuioka too, even though that specific relationship took a little longer to properly blossom.
She reached out and placed a shaky hand on Motobuchi's shoulder as he looked over the body of his fallen comrade. Eto, Nakagawa, and now Inada. Three people were dead in such a short time, and they had a relation to all three events. Maybe people were getting more aggressive now that they were so close to the end. Hirono didn't know. She just wanted to live.
Hirono's silence hid the hurricane of thoughts in her head as she remained with the grieving Motobuchi for a time.
(Hirono Shimizu continued elsewhere...)
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almostinhuman
- Posts: 650
- Joined: Sun Jul 12, 2020 7:06 pm
Gone.
"... Inada?"
She was gone. She'd died before he could even begin to do anything about it. She'd died without any chance for final goodbyes or last words.
Kyoichi stared at her still body, despondent, silent. He didn't have the energy to cry anymore, after losing Mr. Hayashida and Utsumi and Tsukioka and now Inada, one after another. Combined with his own murder of Nakagawa, he'd been hollowed out, drained of the capacity for tears, robbed of whatever remained of his will. Those hopes of banding together and overcoming this had been naive fantasy, and he'd been a fool for buying it. The Program hadn't even have the decency to let him die first, or die alone. He had to be given things worth living for just for them to be ripped away.
Shimizu placed a hand on his shoulder. He turned to her, face stricken with agonized grief.
"Sh-she..."
He wrapped his arms around her, clinging childishly, face buried in her shoulder.
"Why..."
Shimizu was all he had left, now. He clung not only out of a need for comfort, but a desperate fear that she'd be next. He was certain he couldn't bear that. He was already so broken that there'd be nothing left of him if she died. He no longer quite believed in their quest, in Tsukioka's dreams of escape. But he still had to try, he realized. Shimizu needed him to try, and he needed her to live. He had to get her out of there, on that point he was certain. Everything else was secondary.
So he would get her out of here, one way or another.
((Kyoichi Motobuchi continued in the pros and cons of digging your own grave))
"... Inada?"
She was gone. She'd died before he could even begin to do anything about it. She'd died without any chance for final goodbyes or last words.
Kyoichi stared at her still body, despondent, silent. He didn't have the energy to cry anymore, after losing Mr. Hayashida and Utsumi and Tsukioka and now Inada, one after another. Combined with his own murder of Nakagawa, he'd been hollowed out, drained of the capacity for tears, robbed of whatever remained of his will. Those hopes of banding together and overcoming this had been naive fantasy, and he'd been a fool for buying it. The Program hadn't even have the decency to let him die first, or die alone. He had to be given things worth living for just for them to be ripped away.
Shimizu placed a hand on his shoulder. He turned to her, face stricken with agonized grief.
"Sh-she..."
He wrapped his arms around her, clinging childishly, face buried in her shoulder.
"Why..."
Shimizu was all he had left, now. He clung not only out of a need for comfort, but a desperate fear that she'd be next. He was certain he couldn't bear that. He was already so broken that there'd be nothing left of him if she died. He no longer quite believed in their quest, in Tsukioka's dreams of escape. But he still had to try, he realized. Shimizu needed him to try, and he needed her to live. He had to get her out of there, on that point he was certain. Everything else was secondary.
So he would get her out of here, one way or another.
((Kyoichi Motobuchi continued in the pros and cons of digging your own grave))