destinystrings | The Fate the Binds Us [Closed]

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The Fate the Binds Us [Closed]

Who: Hizumi Mizushiro, Ayumu Narumi, and Taro Watanabe [Closed]
Where: Abandoned warehouse; Sagittarius Ward
Summary: All things must come to an end... Especially when that thing is a potentially dangerous Devil.
Warnings: Talk of and attempted suicide. All of the Spiral spoilers ever if anyone actually cares.

Earlier in the day, Ayumu had received one of Hizumi's usual texts. However, this one gave a very odd set of directions; ones that would ultimately lead to an old warehouse in the Sagittarius ward that seemed to have been forgotten about entirely, leaving it to fall into disrepair. However, one of the doors had been propped open ever so slightly, and if one approached it from the right direction, particularly at night, the faint glimmer of a light could be seen inside...

It had taken Hizumi a while to find the place. Between his job and simply spending his time with festivities, seeking out a suitable location was difficult. It had to be out of the way, but also enclosed enough that there wasn't any worry of someone walking in on their conversation. After all, they were the only two involved in all of Hinoto-Ri, and if Hizumi had his way, they would be able to narrow it down to only one by the end of the night.

He has everything prepared. He'd been sure to leave Ayumu with a small "present" in the form of his own revolver bagged and hanging from Ayumu's doorknob. Inside were also a pair of gloves, guaranteed not to leave a single fingerprint. And if Ayumu insisted on leaving it at his apartment, that would be fine, too; Hizumi had brought the sword he had been gifted by a demon, and it lays at his side, the sheathe no longer attached to his belt as he usually carried it. There are a multitude of ways to kill someone, but he realizes that if he wants Ayumu to do it, the method will have to be quick and relatively painless.

Even now, he runs over the information in his mind. It will take all he has to convince Ayumu that Hizumi must die. He could tell right away that Ayumu was too kind to do such a thing, and the fact that they had hit it off so well... Hizumi has to curse his weakness, having let himself spend as much time with the other teen as he did. It will only make it all the more difficult for the both of them.

But at the same time... he has to. He can't let his curse go out of control, he can't allow himself to become the Devil. He can't allow himself to hate the faces he had grown so fond of, the city of people he had begun to find even a little bit endearing.

And more than anything else, he cannot be the one to bring it to its end.

With his fingers threaded tightly, anxiously together, he remains seated on the cold floor of the warehouse, knees drawn up to rest his elbows upon. And so he waits.

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...Somehow, by coming here, the genetic mutation that should have killed us has been nullified. I ran the numbers over and over again - it shouldn't be possible, but...

[He holds his hand out in front of him, flexing it.]

I'm currently seventeen. I should be suffering from anemia at the very least, but I haven't had any problems. Even after getting tested, there were no issues detected. But even though that's the case... The curse definitely remains in tact.

[Ayumu isn't the only one that gun failed to kill.]

[Ayumu doesn't have to guess to know how Hizumi knows that. It's not the most pleasant thought, but if he's been asking Ayumu to kill him.... then...

He wouldn't admit it, of course, but hearing that for however long he was going to stay here he wouldn't be dying was a relief. He still had some time left.]

So this place is keeping us alive in it's own way. [For good or bad.] You thought you'd die before you became the 'Devil', and now you're afraid that you aren't.

[It's not a question.]

If you want to put it simply... Yes.

[Even though that faint smile has returned, he won't look Ayumu in the eye.]

...Hinoto-Ri is already crippled, and there isn't much for me to look forwards to in our world. It's more than likely I would choose to stay here even after the fact. I don't have to fear death here, after all.

And... unless I was stopped early, it wouldn't even take much to bring this city to its knees.

[He'd admittedly thought about it a few times, trying to predict the movements his future self might make. It wasn't all that difficult.

After all, if he were a Devil, wouldn't it be the most appropriate to side then with the demons?]

And that's why you want me to stop you now. [It made sense. Tucking his hands back into his pockets, he considers the situation. Hinoto-Ri was an easy target. Even with Persona users about, the population was so small, the area so little... with the right force manipulating people... and demons, it would fall. It was an easy outcome to predict.

...But it still wasn't enough for Ayumu.] Why now?

[Whether that's 'Why not when I first arrived?' or 'Why not later?', is vague.]

Edited 2013-11-06 10:53 (UTC)

I knew that unless I explained it to you, you wouldn't do it. You're too gentle.

[He's not that much of a fool.]

...But, if we wait for too long, you'll only hesitate when the time comes. And if you keep hesitating, you won't have time to stop me before there are casualties.

[--Because by then they will be fast friends, and that's just as dangerous.]

...So your reasoning is that? [Fear of living, and the belief that Ayumu would hesitate if they became friends.

....Ayumu was already growing fond of Hizumi. He couldn't deny that in his heart. The other thought on the same wavelength as he did, as bizarre as it was, and in spite of his goofy behavior... he wanted to spend time with him. But....]

....You underestimate me.

[If The 'Hizumi' he knew was gone, if this entire city was at risk.... he didn't have the option of hesitating.]

Am I?

[He's not entirely convinced.]

If I approached you, your friend of three years, and begged you not to kill me - you're sure you could pull the trigger anyway?

[Because there's no doubt in his mind that he would use that friendship to his advantage.]

[Ayumu hadn't even had a friendship that long. The longest standing bonds he'd held with someone else were his brother and Madoka, and they weren't 'friends'. His only long time friend up until now was a certain annoying newspaper reporter, so thinking in such a long term was difficult to grasp.

But he'd shot Madoka to save Kanone Hilbert. He'd accepted that there might be distasteful actions in his future, things that were painful.... things he didn't want to do.

But who was he to be selfish, after all?]

If there were no other options.....

...But you still have those. [And if Hizumi really did change here, in spite of everything Hinoto-Ri offered.... what would that mean for the Blade Children?]

What makes you think they exist?

[In a way, he had a feeling Ayumu would do this. To insist on looking for any possible solution.

But there's an edge to Hizumi's voice nonetheless. Because he knows - there isn't any solution, there isn't a happy ending. There's nothing to be found, and by fruitlessly searching for it despite that, Ayumu would only drive himself to the very same despair Hizumi had found.]

Because you still have three years left. [And Ayumu still had four. He'd resolved himself to find a solution to this situation, one where everyone survived. This place gave him more to work with, too.

More time. More potential for options. It was, as difficult to grasp as it was for Ayumu, somehow outside his brother's scenario. It was impossible to believe, but logically, there was no way Kiyotaka could know of this place, unless he'd met Philemon himself. It threw more variables into the scenario than he even could begin to know yet, but he planned to find them.]

Because if I kill you now, I won't be able to bring any kind of hope to the Blade Children.

[He closes his eyes, breaking his gaze away from Hizumi's.] I can't just give up on someone else's happiness. Your's or their's. I'll keep fighting fate until the end.

[Damn it Ayumu, don't say those things. You don't know what you're getting into.]

No matter how long you look for it, there isn't any hope to be found. It would be better just to end it now.

[It's not only a sincere warning, but almost a plea. He's been through this before already. There isn't any need to repeat the same mistake.

His hands tighten into fists in an attempt to keep them from trembling.]

--Don't make me endure another three years of this. Just-

Just do it already-!

[He presses his forehead into his hands, his shoulders shaking. He doesn't want to do this anymore. He doesn't want to live knowing that he would only later lose himself and be killed.

As regretful as it may be to force Ayumu's hand only to leave him behind, Hizumi is just too worn and beaten to go on.]

Edited 2013-11-06 16:34 (UTC)

I won't.

[Seeing Hizumi like this hurt, but he didn't let it show aside from the barest tension on his face. He really had grown closer to he other teen than he'd thought. But there was still no doubt in his mind. He couldn't do what Hizumi was asking him to do. And..]

....Why did you wait a month for this?

[He was willing to bet, somewhere in there..... some part of Hizumi still wanted to live. It was weighed down by despair, but somewhere inside, Hizumi didn't want to die. He was scared to live.]

[It's a while before Hizumi responds, not raising his face. Even his voice is shaky at this point, only barely controlled.]

...I was weak.

[Ayumu had surely noticed as well. It was only a month, but all of the time he'd spent with Ayumu, finally having someone who could know and understand...

It was most likely best time of his life.]

Even though I swore to myself-- I couldn't help it.

[Even though he knew it would just hurt them both all the more.]

If you lose yourself eventually, I'll stop you. Everyone lives with the fear of losing themselves, either to death or otherwise. But they choose to live because life has things they want.

[He'd noticed. He'd felt it as well, though it was too bizarre to put into words. He'd never had something like that. Was this how his brother had felt, too......?

But regardless, a part of Hizumi wanted to live. Either this part had always existed, or Hinoto-Ri had given it back to him. But it existed.]

You're alive now. Hinoto-Ri is outside of our world's scenario, I think. There's still a chance you can live and survive, without hurting anyone else.

[...It's almost funny. He, the Devil, should have been the one tempting Ayumu. And yet, somehow, the situation has been reversed.

But he has to remain adamant. As much as he'd like to give in, to continue to live on happily...

He can't.

He looks up again, his gaze not meeting Ayumu's. It isn't that difficult to see that he's been crying.]

Only "if I lose myself"--

What a cruel thing to say.

[Not even given the dignity of a human death. He just can't agree with that.]

But, you know... even this world is affected by it. There are people here who were dead in their own worlds - coming here miraculously healed isn't so strange.

But death... should still be permanent.

[His hands close into fists once again, but only for a second. It's then that slowly, he begins to move, pushing up the sleeve on his left arm and exposing his flesh to the cold air of the warehouse.

But once that is achieved, his movements quicken. He reaches for the blade at his right side, unsheathing it and discarding the case. The blade itself is soon placed near vertically against his skin, hovering just over the artery, and before he can hesitate--

He draws the blade over it, slicing deep into his own arm. Even though his teeth were gritted at the time, a sound of pain escapes his mouth, and almost instantly the sword falls from his right hand as it moves to grasp the shoulder of his newly injured left.

Forget ten minutes - a wound of this size should kill him long before then if left to bleed out.]

[Ayumu can only stare as Hizumi pulls out the blade, eyes widening slightly as he steps forward to stop him. But it's too late-- The blade slices through flesh, crimson blood pouring out. It doesn't stop his steps, only brings him closer, reaching out to grasp Hizumi's arm and try to stop the bleeding.] You idiot....!

[There's so much-- how was he going to...

Even knowing the outcome isn't likely to be death, his reaction is stubbornly instinctive. He wasn't just going to let Hizumi sit there bleeding.] Come on...!

[With a flash of blue light, Kiyotaka Narumi is standing at his back. If nothing else is done to stop him somehow, Dia is going to be cast to try to seal the wound. Ayumu didn't know if it would work, but it was the only option he had.]

Edited 2013-11-06 17:48 (UTC)

[There's a sharp gasp as the spells seals up the wound - but only just. It's not something that will hold out for long. And even with the healing spell in place, it does little to help the pain that now engulfs the entirety of his left arm.

But he keeps his emotions in check, biting back the urge to scream. Instead, he finally raises his head to lock eyes with Ayumu defiantly.]

[Another casting of Dia, to see if it will further it along... Ayumu isn't sure how much he can do, with how new he is at this, but he gives Hizumi an equally defiant look, focusing on Hizumi and his wound as opposed to the looming presence of his brother's form behind him.] Do you really think I'm just going to leave you bleeding?

[He has a backup plan, but he doesn't want to use it. If Hizumi forces him to, though....]

...That makes twenty times, now.

[Or around that, at least. He's only been keeping a vague count. His free arm goes to his forehead, covering up his eyes with a sense of weariness.]

Trying to save me is pointless. I'm seriously tired of this.

[Just let him go already, Ayumu.]

Do you really think this is going to change my mind?

['This' being slicing his arm open. He reaches up with the one hand that isn't holding Hizumi's arm, tugging off his scarf.]

I didn't ask to be saved.

[It's hard to see his expression, but judging by the tremor in his voice...]

I don't even want to be. [A lie.] So just stop already...!

[He's begging you. It's too difficult. Too painful. His voice only continues to grow increasingly desperate.]

I won't. [he knew it was a lie. Hizumi's actions up until now were completely contradictory to what he said he wanted. It was enough for Ayumu to come to that conclusion. But calling him a liar outright was bound to get messy right now. He kicks the sword away, ready to try to stop Hizumi if he reached for a hidden gun. He wasn't going to let Hizumi be a coward.] I'm going to find a solution, and until then you won't change my mind. Not like this.

Edited 2013-11-06 18:55 (UTC)

[It's lucky Hizumi gave his only other weapon to Ayumu earlier that day. Aside from attempting to call his own Personae upon himself, there's not much he can do.

Even he can realize when he's lost.]

...You'll regret it, you know.

[He slumps, allowing his hand to fall from his face and move instead to grasp at his injured arm.

So, that's it. Even now that God had come, he remains trapped in this life. He doesn't know if he should laugh or cry - perhaps it's for the best that he simply lacks the energy to do either at this point.]

I'll regret it more if I kill you now. [And he knew he would. Hizumi had three years left, at least. He wasn't going to kill him and end that, not unless he ran out of options. Even if Hizumi had to live in fear of the possibility of losing himself.

When Hizumi slumps over, Ayumu's hand leaves his scarf he'd been loosening, instead moving to support the other by wrapping around him. It's something of a hug, really... Though if asked later he might deny it.]

[It's strange... He went for years without receiving any affection of this kind. It was something he'd thought he only missed for the nostalgia of it, but...

Maybe it's the added blood loss along with the chill of the room, but Ayumu's warmth is comforting somehow.]

...Haa, it's happened again. Guess I'm not as good at this as I thought.

[But then, who wants to be good at convincing people to kill you?]

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