[OPEN] WATCH THIS MADNESS

[crudest]

WHO: Baren & YOU!!
WHERE: by Recollé Woods, or somewhere in the city, wherever your chara is!!
WHEN: forward-dated to September 7th, and ensuing time periods after!
WHAT: a ) Baren becomes a literal walking dumpsterfire. that's the log. But also b ) Baren Kaiyou: Found Dead in Miami (jk) and c ) tanuki deliveries!
WARNINGS: fire trauma in prompt a. possible mentions of child neglect, alcoholism, and suicidal ideation but those can be avoided and will be marked in threads if/as they come up.

[ A : JUST LIKE FIRE, semi-closed to existing cr ]

( content warning: threads that fall underneath this prompt will include reference to fire trauma.

they might mention child neglect, alcoholism, and suicidal ideation. if you'd still like to engage in this prompt, but would rather one of these topics be left out of the meta, just let me know! they will be dodged. will mark subjects if these arise in any thread regardless. feel free to hit me at evergrace if you want to work something out. )

[ i ) And here Baren thought that he and Retrospec had some kind of truce.

What he'd received instead, what was bundled in his arms now as he makes his way out of the bright lights of the city, was a reminder of a past that he'd long since tried to hide. The cloth of the haori feels natural against his fingertips, it fit around his shoulders perfectly in the brief minute he'd allowed it on his person, and everything about it feels like fate. Certainty. Home.

He feels like he could retch.

It's on the outskirts of the forest that he parks his car and gets out, makes a haphazard fire pit, and throws the haori into the dirt along with pieces of brush and dried grass. It sits upon the mess, the kanji for 'Kumou' obvious and stinging Baren's eyes before he even finds his lighter. He scoffs. The words leave his mouth like every syllable is dripping with poison.]

Who's a Kumou anyway, huh?

[How could he face his mother and sister like that?

When he lifts his hand, flicks his lighter open and watches the flame dance in his fingertips, he feels the swirling pit of hesitation in his stomach. Something - his conscience? when had he last listened to that - warns him that this is a bad idea. Don't set this cloth aflame, because it meant something. In the end, he's meant to be a Kumou, no matter how far he runs or how hard he tries.

But those feelings aren't his.

He drops the lighter and watches the embers begin to burn.

ii ) For those who won't travel to the woods at night by themselves, they're in... luck?

Wherever they are, whether it's at home, they're on a walk, or otherwise, Tanuki will find them. If they've met Baren even once, he thinks that's good enough. He's still small, going up to their legs and grabbing on. The noises he makes are distressed, short, worried. His breaths come in quick puffs and he starts to wander off, looking back to make sure they follow.

A shake of his whole body, then his teeth nipping at their clothes or briefly at skin to grab their attention if they're still not.

Hey. Pay attention to him.

His family is in trouble.]

[ B : THE AFTERMATH, open ]

[As soon as September 8th, the magazines and tabloids cover the announcement in a series of headlines: Baren Kaiyou Ditches Modeling, Baren Kaiyou Says Bye-Bye, RIP Baren Kaiyou.....'s Career?!, and oh his favorite.

Baren Kaiyou - Leaves Modeling to Join Traveling Circus.

In all honesty, Baren Kaiyou is actually standing in front of the magazine stand, musing over it all. He wears dark sunglasses today instead of his eyepatch, his hair done in a bun instead of the classic ponytail with feathers and bells. The only extremely odd bit is that he seems to be wearing a long cardigan in the still warm early days of September, hands shoved in his pockets. Otherwise, he still looks every bit the ex-model that's featured on the covers.

He reads over them one more time.

Tilts his head, muses out loud:]

Well, who wouldn't leave modeling for a traveling circus? Better that than some shitty meme about being found dead in Miami....

[ C : THE BEST PROMPT, open ]

[Sorry, make way!

As you walk about your day, it looks like there's a furry tanuki friend crossing through the sidewalks, dodging this way and that between people's legs. In his mouth he carries a wrapped up box in a handkerchief. He's on a mission.

But he's still a tanuki.

Did he bump into you? Is he about to run into a busy street? Want to try picking him up?

Where's his owner anyway?

This version has considerably less trauma.]

Comments

a because this dumpster fire cr is a dumpster fire

[chessking]

[ to be honest, he's kind of joked about the ugly tanuki raccoon dog following baren around ever since retrospec has allowed him to see the... oddities that have been present in the world. so when tanuki nips at the hem of lelouch's jeans and his shoes, it's... alarming, when baren doesn't immediately follow after.

and yeah, he'll follow, because he's concerned. it might take a while because of lelouch's unfit ass and his general reluctance for physical activity in any form, but when he's being led to the woods, into an area of town where he's not familiar with, that's when he's actively worried. ]

Baren? Baren?!

[ what is tanuki-san going to lead him to and why does he have a bad feeling about this. ]

[crudest]

[You're in luck, Lelouch. It's in a puff of smoke that Tanuki-san turns bigger, large enough to ride. He immediately moves to scoop Lelouch on his back now that he can and runs the last bit because you're taking too long, slow human.

It's a different kind of smoke that Lelouch might smell - something's burning. Tanuki-san moves faster, running now. They pass Baren's car and by now he's standing in front of a growing flame. The embers have engulfed the brush and debris, now lick at the cloth of the haori itself.

He glances back at them, raising a brow, disrupted from his thoughts.]

Mm...?

a- ii

[doublesmall]

[chuuya doesn't tend to go out to the woods much, no, but when a familiar little furball finds him in distress and tries to get him to follow--

there's no second thoughts, no time wasted wondering what it wants. it's baren's, it's here without him, and it's upset; the tanuki doesn't need to make much of an effort at all to get chuuya's attention.]

What's the big deal, huh-?

[chuuya it's a tanuki it's not like it can tell you... but he follows after it without much hesitation.]

Alright, alright, let's go.

[crudest]

[Chuuya, your legs are really short. Tanuki-san is worried about you.

That's why once Chuuya agrees to move, there's a cloud of white smoke out of nowhere and out comes big tanuki-san, ducking to get Chuuya on his back so that they can move. He might be a little impatient but as soon as Chuuya manages to grab on, he's racing off toward the woods.

Smoke can be seen hovering above the treetops from a distance and he makes a brief whining noise before running even faster toward the source.]

A!

[roseblooms]

[It turns out that there's no amount of walking that can get the sound of his own screaming to stop ringing in his ears.

Oh, he's trying, certainly. He's trying and trying, he's trying everything he can think of to get the sound of a young man's panic out of his head, to cover over the words burned into his mind's eye, to stop seeing the flashes of light and smelling the gunpowder smoke and feeling the fireburn of agony humming along his nerves every time he lets his guard down for even an instant. He's trying, and lately the trying has been leading him to wander, and he's wandering when Tanuki finds him, which actually proves to be a welcome respite from the all-encompassing quicksand of his thoughts.

It's easy enough to follow him. Tanuki is urgent and agitated about something, and that makes for a good point of curiosity to focus on, and even if it means following him through the woods at a full-tilt run, well —

Running through the woods always feels natural to him these days, anyway.

So he follows, without complaint, and he can smell the smoke and the fire before he ever sees it, and for a second he thinks that's only in his memories, too, except that this time the memory is more vivid than it's been even in his dreams.]

[crudest]

[Not even the sound of footsteps is enough to get Baren to turn. He recognizes Tanuki's familiar shuffle, even though the youkai is now coming up to him, trying to nudge Baren away from the fire. His teeth sink into his charge's pant leg and pull to no avail. He doesn't move. Tanuki tries to wander closer to the fire, because he's been around more dangerous things, but small as he is, he can't figure out a way to fix it. The flames edge closer and closer to the item.

Tanuki turns to Fawkes, giving out a distressed 'bugyaaaaa' because apparently this is a matter for humans.

At least now Baren kneels, because even in his muddled thoughts, he hears the sound of an animal in distress and doesn't care for it. He takes Tanuki into his arms, scratches him behind the air, trying to soothe his sad snuffling. He spares the barest glance back at him, then shaking his head.]

What'd he bring you here for, Foxy....

B;

[originallutece]

[It's not that she follows his career like a hawk, but he's starting to become a name she subconsciously looks out for. Baren is a fairly unusual name to begin with; it's hard not to skim the headline when she sees it.

Of course, why bother to read a headline when the boy in question is right there?]

I don't think you'd fare too well in the circus, frankly, tanuki or not.

[crudest]

No? I've got a trick or two sometimes.

[He glances over to Ros and cants his head to the side - normally this gesture would be accompanied with some kind of grin. A smile. Perhaps even half of a laugh. For all Baren's annoying qualities, he tends to at least possess a good humor when left neutral.

That's not quite the case here. It's almost as if he's too tired to work up the same amusement, despite how easily he found some kind of joy in everything until recently.]

a-ii

[goen]

[ Sup tanuki bro. Yato is heading home from work at the Inkwell when a familiar dopey little raccoonguy runs up to him, clearly in a panic. ]

Hey, Tanuki. Pigeonshit fall down a well?

[ The amount of concern Yato shows over that possibility is microscopic. But when Tanuki-san starts walking off, Yato will follow. For Tanuki-san...!! ]

[crudest]

[The bond between gods and youkai is indescribable.

Regardless, once he has Yato's attention, Tanuki will take that as a good sign. It's in a cloud of smoke that he turns bigger once again, moving next to Yato so that he can climb on. He nudges him with his tail as if to say quickly, quickly.

Silly feuds can wait.

Apparently Tanuki ain't got time for that.]

C

[odapologist]

[ That is a weird dog running through the sidewalk. Or raccoon? It runs past Yanagi's leg for him to notice, and he wonders if some lost their pet? It has something in its mouth... But when he looks ahead to the crosswalk, the timer on the sign ticks to zero and it's now a bright orange hand. Do tanukis follow traffic laws? Oh no. ]

Hey-!

[ He picks up the tanuki just inches before he can hop off the curb into the crosswalk with cars going through now. People are giving them (or just him) funny looks, but he's holding fast. The kid's bracing to get clawed because up close, this is definitely not a normal pet he grabbed. ]

When the signal is white, I'll let you go.

[ He's not even sure if a raccoon dog can understand him, but he's willing to bargain with it if it could. ]

[crudest]

[Tanuki-san isn't the type to get clawed at least, though he does huff a bit unhappily when he's grabbed. Silly human, he knows how to navigate streets (he doesn't).

Still, he's a smart boy. He looks to Yanagi and makes a brief grumbling noise, shaking his head and taking his little package along with the movement.]

b

[adoringpast]

[ it's not just the magazines - everyone in the agency's abuzz with rumors on why someone like baren suddenly quit in the first place. whether it's because he was involved in some sleazy scandal or due to a death of a loved one or whatever, the other models have been talking about it - and it seems as if they've been wanting to do it for for a while now. this industry has always been a dog-eat-dog world, and someone like baren is certainly not exempt from its viciousness.

which is why sena needs to find him as soon as possible but he doesn't know whether to start, since he just went up and left one day without any warning except a word from his agent, which sparked the gossip among their fellow models. and it just so happened that they're both standing in front of the same magazine stand one day, and despite the disguises models have to put on so as not to be easily recognized on the street, sena can still tell who it is with that mocking voice of his, and he's doing all he can to hold back, but - ]

Didn't know you'd rather be seen as a fucking circus act of all things. Don't you have any dignity anymore?

[ he says, eyes not leaving the various magazines in front of him. hey asshole it's me, ya boy. ]

[crudest]

[Baren's never been the type to care about someone else's opinion of him. He doesn't think today is a good day to start.]

If I had dignity, would I end up as happy as you?

[A lazy question, followed by a lazy shrug of his shoulders. His career in flames and Baren still doesn't seem to give a single shit.

... 'seem' being the operative word here.]

A is this overdramatic enough

[stopbleeding]

[The snapping and crackling of the fire does nothing to cover up the growl of an engine. It stalks closer, moves out of the realm of a passing car and into the reality of one in pursuit.

Zoro had nearly run over Tanuki when it had stopped him in the middle of the road. His stop had been so sudden it had not only scraped the side of his motorcycle but skimmed his legs as well. They burned as the panicked Tanuki cut through his angry with alarm and they continued to burn now as the animal sat on his shoulder, directing him through the woods.

He didn't waste time wondering what was happening. He didn't waste energy trying to calm his racing heart. His attention was on the trees, the grass, every obstacle that would slow him down from reaching the only certainty he knew. Baren was in trouble. He had to get there.

The engine's growl evolves into a roar as Zoro pushes into the area Baren's claimed. He sees the pit, smells fire, smoke–something burning–and doesn't take the time to pull into a proper stop. Tanuki on his shoulder, he skids the bike flat, clambering off of it once it's slowed enough.]

Baren!

thanks hubby

[crudest]

[Baren doesn't hear him.

In that second, he doesn't hear anything.

He's lost in a memory - in an alternate timeline, he's not sure which - and he can't see past it. He can't see past the roaring, angry flames that engulf his entire home, that burn the Kumou crest until there's nothing left of it. He can't see past the running backs of the villagers who curse them for being the reason why the sun - their mother - was taken away. He can't see past the pain and ache of betrayal, the tears that came after as Okuni repeated those words to him: good fortune comes to those who smile.

He answered her: we're two, but we're one.

As the only person who would never leave him alone.

Being a Kumou is all he has left.

It might be impossible to notice, the tears that threaten to spill over in Baren's visible eye, but the second that he comes back to himself is the second that Zoro appears on the scene. Baren doesn't notice him, doesn't hear him.

He only knows with an absolute certainty - this is all I have - that he has to get his haori back.

His fingers curl around the burning cloth just as fire licks at his skin, but - he has it. He grips onto the very thing that eats at him.]

a-i

[despirit]

[it's not like Nikkari won't be places at night. again, his mind perfectly awake at hours when other people should be winding down. he walks, with little regard for his own safety, turning over the thoughts at the bottom of his mind like stones worn smooth with time.

but his meditations are cut short when he sees light, and fire, and he's drawing up closer to it. no attempts to hide his footsteps or catch this person unawares, the smile he wears dropping as he gets close enough to see-]

Baren?

[there's an explanation, there has to be. but this isn't like him at all.]

[crudest]

[It isn't.

Somewhere off in the distance, Baren hears the footsteps - up until they become something else.

Not just one set of footsteps, but many. Rushed. Not toward him, but away from something. The memory engulfs him as he remembers them, their backs growing smaller and smaller in the distance as he was left behind. He didn't need to know their faces to know them. Gruff villagers who once pet his head too roughly, but still welcomed him with warm hugs and kind, drunken grins.

They burned his house down.

They set in aflame before his eyes and in front of him now, Baren can't tell the difference. He feels small in front of the flame, particularly as he falls to his knees in front of his makeshift firepit and with eyes that don't quite see the truth, reach into it quickly, with a desperation that betrays his feelings of being somewhere else entirely.

All he cares for is his fingers to wrap around the haori, to grip onto it for dear life even as it burns him.

In this moment, in this selfish and stupid and achingly lonely moment, this is all he has.]

a-i!

[sharplydressed]

[Why is Kashuu wandering around near the outskirts of the forest? Because spirits are fuckin weird, that's why. Unsettled pacing brings him to strange places without him actually meaning to, even though it's the smell of the embers catching that actually draws him over from where he had been wandering. Mostly because it's summer and there are jerks who toss their lit cigarette butts out no matter where you live, even if it's spooky Recolleville, and he doesn't want a forest fire starting... Especially when there are ghosts out here??

He recognizes Baren pretty quickly when he actually spots the source of the smell, though. There's some immediate concern, of course - and also an "of course" matter, he approaches with something a little too light.]

Finally going after that arson charge, huh?

[His overall tone and posturing probably gives away that he's Concerned™, though. He's always been good at reading the atmosphere, and this one is heavy with more than just smoke.]

[crudest]

[It's different because it's Kashuu.

Baren remembers telling Yamato - I'll never be good enough for the two of you, but I'll try.

It feels a little silly now, to think that he could've worked so hard for something that he would never be able to attain. When had he ever managed to be good for anything? For anyone?

Still, he promised his trust. He promised his attempt to take care of them, so Baren doesn't bite quite as much when Kashuu interrupts him in his moment of inevitable stupidity. His eyes still stare into the fire, watching the symbol - 曇, Kumou - judge him even as the fire finally begins to catch on the cloth itself. It's certainly just his imagination when he feels the fire begin to eat away at part of his heart.]

... overdue.

[And finally, the smallest explanation:]

Retrospec sent me something bad.

You know, I thought Maury liked me.

[Though it lacks the same note of amusement that Baren normally faces the world with. Now it almost stings with something like disappointment. Betrayal.]

c bc i already have traumatising threads, let's be nice this time around

[crushcard]

[ of course he recognises tanuki-san when tanuki-san bumps into his leg when he's on his way back from a lunch meeting.

baren has worked for him long enough (it feels like it's been less than a month, mostly because of Shit That Happened in august, but yeah, long enough to notice and to draw the conclusion that tanuki-san definitely belongs to baren, and. hm.

baren is nowhere to be found.

he usually is not too fussed about baren suddenly up and disappearing - it's not like kaiba has set fixed hours for when he has to come into work mostly because as long as baren gets the job done he's flexible, but to see his companion without him around is. well.

by this time, tanuki-san is probably scurrying off somewhere after regaining its balance from slamming into kaiba's foot.

kaiba is just going to follow. where will tanuki-san lead him to? ]

[crudest]

[Tanuki-san will look over his shoulder at some point to recognize this tall stuffy man.

He remembers Tall Stuffy Man. He likes coffee.

He allows Tall Stuffy Man to follow since he's not going anywhere special, but rather the park. At this park, there is Baren sitting on a bench.

Surrounded by so many cats.

He's just hanging out, still has his hands in his pockets and wearing a long cardigan. Tanuki-san scurries to him with the box and goes to sit in his lap. Baren looks up.]

... Bossman?

[like what the actual fuck

A cat on Baren's shoulder yawns in greeting.]

B

[thesettingsun]

[Of course Shuji heard about Baren leaving modeling. It's something he keeps up with. But tabloids are very rarely reliable for anything, so he really doesn't know what happened.

Baren would know better than any magazine, and so it's with that in mind that Shuji approaches.]

A traveling circus sounds like more fun, honestly.

[crudest]

I think so too. Maybe the next time one comes around, I'll just hop on.

[Blandly, because he thinks it's possible and also tempting.

He glances to Shuji, keeps his hands in his pockets and cants his head to the side.]

Want all the free promo clothes I don't want?

a-1!

[okitactless]

[WHY IS YASUSADA IN THE WOODS. Why are Baren's swords constantly in the woods?! Yasusada's reasons are probably extremely stupid, like he's gone searching for ghosts or a lost puppy or something, who even knows. But he's here, and he's gotten himself all healed up, so he looks like he always does except for the sword at his hip.

It's Baren's car that he recognizes first, that obnoxious thing that's glaringly obvious even in the heart of the city. He half-expects to hear some ridiculous laughter as he makes his way towards it, sure that Baren is out here doing Baren Things and wreaking havoc now that things are slowly beginning to settle down. So it's a surprise when he's greeted with quiet, with words that clearly aren't meant for anyone to hear.

He pauses, debating turning around and leaving--if Baren's out here for something private, then Yasusada should really respect that. But then he sees the flash of light, the telltale flickering of flame, and moves forward anyway.

He approaches quietly, but he doesn't try and disguise his presence. It's only once he's close enough to see the fire pit and the look on Baren's face that he speaks up, sounding genuinely confused.]

What are you doing?

[crudest]

[There won't be any laughter here for a bit longer.

It's because it's Yamato that Baren turns toward the voice, actually giving him a moment of his acknowledgement before he looks back to the fire he started. Fire begins to lick at the haori that rests in the middle of the pit, the emblazoned kanji - 曇, cloud - staring at Baren even as he can't tear his eyes away from it for another moment.]

... getting rid of something Retrospec sent me.

[An honest answer, even as it naturally feels wrong to lose something that's meant to belong to you.]

a-ii

[alitaba]

[ It’s no secret Futaba isn’t the type to throw herself headfirst into a situation without any information ahead of time. But even she has occasional exceptions and Tanuki showing up in distress seems to be enough of a good reason for her. The past month has been enough to know something isn’t right at the sight and it’s without a second thought, she’s scrambling to her feet to follow after him. ]

Lead the way!

[ Please be okay, Baren ]

[crudest]

[Baren may or may not be okay.

(He's not okay.)

That's why Tanuki immediately turns into his larger self once Futaba agrees to follow him, waiting for her to get on as patiently as he can before scurrying off in the direction of the forest. Smoke climbs over the trees and he uses that to run past Baren's fancy car that they'd just completed a stakeout in, eventually finding Baren himself crouched by the fire that he'd set. It's blazing now.

The timing isn't good.

It's at the tail end of Baren getting hit with a memory - spacing out for a moment, up until his shoulders shake with the force of his own emotions - and then he moves too fast for Tanuki to reach. It's desperate, careless as he reaches his hands into the fire to pull out the burning haori inside.

He doesn't even see Futaba.]

aii

[arahoushi]

[Listen, he got used enough to seeing Tanuki around Baren during the month of hell that it'd be weird seeing one of them without the other as is. It's even weirder having the little animal coming up to him and huffing like that and Toshi's a firm believer in the Lassie principle, so of course he's gonna follow.]

Lead on, little guy.

[If Tanuki's coming to someone like him, he figures something's probably very wrong. Doesn't seem like your average beer run.]

[crudest]

[Yeah, beggars can't be choosers. Tanuki has a similar outlook on people as Baren. Just about everyone is decent, but what's most important is keeping the ones important to him safe. In this city, Baren is the one important to him.

Hence why he leads Toshi toward the forest. Smoke begins to climb above the trees and they pass Baren's red convertible to the clearing where he stands in front of a firepit.

He doesn't even seem to bother looking up.]

b - shows up fashionably late like 12 hours later nbd

[frostythehitman]

[ Honestly? James hadn't even noticed that Baren was apparently a model.

But he's seen some of the headlines on the magazines at the pharmacies this week, and it was a mild surprise. One of those things you see, go "huh" over, and then go back to your life as usual.

Of course, because his life as usual is full of inconvenient things happening at random times, he runs into Baren on the street on his way home, standing at a magazine stand. Something is off about him, but he can't tell what.

All James does is sigh heavily, exaggeratedly even, at him. ]

What the hell did you do now?

[crudest]

Ohhh, Jimbo. Glad you're alive.

[Kinda numbly, but y'know. He means it, probably?]

I dunno, I'm a busy guy. I do a lot of things.

aii;

[heroforall]

[Izuku is sleeping peacefully when a certain tanuki manages to sneak into his apartment, locate his bedroom, and burrow under the covers with him. The sensation of a slight weight resting on his leg brings him slowly into wakening, but apparently not fast enough because suddenly his toes are being nipped at.]

Wha-OUCH! [He's definitely awake now as he throws the blankets back, pushing himself up into a seated position. He rubs his eyes as his vision begins to clear.

...Isn't that...Baren's tanuki.]

Hey little guy...how did you get in here?

[crudest]

[That's a great question and to be honest the answer is simply that Baren's tanuki is just as crafty as Baren. He doesn't seem to really think much more about it than that now that Izuku's awake and he does an angry little huff again before pulling the blankets between his teeth and moving as if that'll help wrangle Izuku out of bed.

No time, no time.

He makes a whining noise, followed by an angrier one. They have a place to go, Izuku.]

AI.

[storytelleroftime]

[As Maggie is leaving the forest, her eyes are caught by the sight of flames flickering in the distance. She had been, up until then, trying to avoid anything that could bring her closer to other people, not wanting them to see her. Yet, she is intrigued by this. Her heart is telling her to avoid this, to just go home and not bother with whatever this is. But her heart is also far too beaten down by everything that she has been putting it through to be able to stop her mind from making its decision to investigate this disturbance, and thus, she heads towards Baren's little campfire.

[She sneaks up on him from behind, and for a few seconds all she does is stare. Stare at the figure hunched over the campfire, burning some piece of cloth in his hands. She doesn't want to interrupt, at first, simply watch this little ritual occur at leave it at that. But another part of her urges her forwards. The curious part of herself that made her come and investigate all of this in the first place. But she doesn't even know if she should interrupt this, if she should approach, and what will happen if she does. She doesn't know if it is too heavy of a risk for her to be taking. But she overrides the part of herself that cares if it is anyways as she walks over towards Baren. She stands right behind him, and the voice she hears herself use is far more forceful than she thought it would be.]

"What exactly do you think you're doing?"

[crudest]

[Forceful or not, it falls on deaf ears all the same.

The cloth had long since left Baren's hands, is instead already in the fire and he watches the flames approach it with a mixture of curiosity, dread, and uncertainty. It eats at his stomach and it doesn't matter what just about anyone says to him right now - much less someone who essentially is a stranger to him.

So he answers, short and uncaring:]

None of your business.

[He's kinder to women by default, he is, but there are limits to even that.]

a-ii

[evidentiary]

[ kyouko certainly wouldn't be in the woods at night, but she is in fact out and about - walking home from work or a late class or study session, likely. upon being stopped by the tanuki, she will...

...be weirded out a little, but also follow.

how long does it take to reach the mess that is party satan? ]

[crudest]

[Just a little too long.

Upon Kyouko's agreement to follow, Tanuki does move to lead her to the forest - though when they get closer and sees smoke, he makes a distressed little noise before turning into a larger tanuki and bowing his head to invite her to get on his back. At least Baren taught him manners when it came to working with ladies.

But whether she gets on or not, the time is a little pressed. Baren already appears to space out when he's in sight of them, caught in a memory. His shoulders tense, his fingers curl as if they desperately want to clutch onto something - and then it's automatic. He reaches into the fire itself to retrieve the haori that's already certainly burning.

Isn't it good that Kyouko's studying medicine.]

Aii

[wordcarvings]

[ While Koutarou does wander through the woods sometimes recently, thanks to some "memories", he doesn't do it at night. Not yet, at least. It will come to that, later on. But he does wander the city at night, thanks to his weird sleep and work patterns, and he's just finished a commission and was buying something to eat before taking a nap. He has classes in the afternoon, and needs to be rested.

But Tanuki, don't sneak into the stores, you'll get in trouble. He can tell that the animal wants something, though. He whispers down to him, ]

Hello there, little one. I'll be right with you, do you mind waiting just a little while as I pay for this?

[ It's just a couple sandwiches and an energy drink, and at least there's no line to the check-out. ]

[crudest]

[Koutarou, why are you this way.

Tanuki disagrees with this? He disagrees with this a lot? For every item that he pays for, Baren could be doing something disastrous? So he makes an annoyed noise - BUGYYAAAA - before nipping at his pant leg and trying to pull him back toward the door.

NO TIME FOR ENERGY DRINKS.

(Even though all parties involved could need it in a bit.)]

I WANNA HEAL UR HAAAAAAANDS

[stopbleeding]

[There's a check for two thousand dollars folded in his pocket as he ends the call. It stays there, hidden, as he lets Baren know. The healer's coming, the healer's coming–like some benevolent Paul Revere.

He clears up the breakfast he cooked for the both of them, washing the dishes and leaving them to dry.

To Zoro's knowledge, Baren doesn't know about the check and Zoro prefers it that way. He wrote it while Baren slept, familiar with the price after his own surgery years ago. Healing wasn't surgery-it was a stranger concept, more abstract-but it was still a service. There wasn't a reason not to pay.

When Yu finally comes he greets him at the door. Shakes his hand and slips the check into it, holding a finger to his lips. Don't address it. Just accept. Then he nods towards another room.]

He's in here. Follow me.

[Annnd he'll lead the way, stopping in front of wherever Baren is.]

[covenantal]

[ Ah, well.

Yu shows up quickly - it'll be clear he hurried over as soon as he got the call. But he's still surprised when Zoro shakes his hand and slips a check to it. He opens his mouth, but in the end, complies with the other man's silent request, though the twist of his mouth suggests a certain discomfort. He would never have asked for payment for something like this. He'll have to talk to Zoro later. Alone, where "he" can't hear, since it's clearly important that whoever it is not know about this. ]

Alright.

[ He's in here. And of course, it wasn't Zoro that was hurt. Yu had started to suspect, based on the nature of their phone call, but this is the proof he was looking for.

The real shock is that it's Baren. What little color Yu had drains from his face, and he immediately hurries to Baren's side. Zoro will be able to tell right away that Baren is someone Yu seems fairly familiar with. ]

Baren-- what happened? Why didn't you call me yourself? I can heal burns now--

[ Cutting off with a soft sound of frustration, Yu will summon the Persona he needs, one Baren won't have seen before. Hopefully the appearance won't surprise Zoro too much, because Yu, in his overpowering concern, forgot to warn the other man.

Ishtar can't heal burns, exactly. But the magic that washes over Baren as Ishtar casts Amrita will take away the particular sting that burns carry, leaving only a deep, abiding soreness behind.

The only real problem is that this is Yu's very first time using Ishtar. And doing it seems to take a lot out of him, though Yu is as stoic about it as he is about most things. ]