Tenth Curse

[bondsofsuffering]

[Anonymous Text]

Subject: Astrology & Event Docs
Attached files: amd.doc, emd.doc

For those who have joined us only recently: welcome to Hinoto-Ri. Attached to this message are two documents: the Astrology Master Document and the Event Master Document. In Hinoto-Ri, it is important to arm yourself with knowledge regarding your astrological sign in order to prepare yourself for battles against certain demons, which have thus far been based on a single sign from the western horoscope common to planet Earth. If you are uncertain of your sign, your ID card should have that information.

So far, we have encountered Scorpio, Taurus, and Virgo. Information about the effects these demons had on the populace can be found in the Astrology Master Document. However, since certain information is lacking, if anyone who was present for those attacks could fill in data from their own experiences, it would be appreciated.

The Event Master Document covers all other events that have occurred. These are unrelated to the astrology-based demon attacks, but many of them are still caused by demons. Reading it over should give you an idea of what to expect in this place. However, like the Astrology Master Document, it relies on information input by Visitors regarding their own experiences; if you have anything relevant to add, please do so. Both documents are open to editing from anyone who has access to them.

Due to the Virgo event, the documents were restored to a prior point in order to remove vandalism. If any important and relevant notes were lost in that process, please add them as necessary.

Other items of note:

The Hinoto-Ri government has been working on weapons to destroy astrology-based demons, which would render Visitor help unnecessary. However, so far that weapon has been found to be insufficient.

As usual, this post may be used as a place of discussion.

[Video; Three Hours Later]

[After a two day absence from work, school, and home, Hizumi makes his official return... through a very brief video message.]

If anyone's got cold medicine, could you bring it over? 'll pay you back'n everything.

[His voice is stuffy, and his first sentence is punctuated by a wet sniffle. And if the state of his hair and the background featuring what is unmistakably an apartment bed is any indication, he seems to have just woken up.]

Comments

[bondsofsuffering]

[There's a shuffling sound right up to the door, and then a pause. Unsurprisingly, he's checking who it is before he opens up.

Although he does eventually open the door, his expression is carefully schooled - which should speak multitudes about his mood towards Ayumu right about now.]

...Hey.

[He gives a quick nod to Taro before stepping aside to let them in.]

[melodyoflogic]

[It's almost as bad as getting the door slammed in his face really, but he'll count themselves lucky with the offer. He hadn't been expecting a happy reception regardless, not after what happened.

He steps inside, casually looking over Hizumi's appearance as he does.] I brought you lunch. Medicine, too.

[There's a full meal in the bag.... made with Ayumu's usual skill and eye for nutrition.]

[hachitaro]

[Taro pads inside and sits, head tilted as he stares at Hizumi. He didn't bring anything but he's still worried and people like puppies so maybe he can help like this.]

[bondsofsuffering]

[He's got a serious case of bed head and doesn't look particularly energetic, but the fact that he's back on his feet to some extent should show how much healthier he is than the last time Ayumu saw him. Even with all of the gross sniffling, it's clearly just a cold, which is heaps better than suffering from blood loss.

He eyes the bag for all of a second before giving a small shrug and making his way back to his bed, where he's still got a glass of water. It's half-empty at this point, but it should still be enough for the medicine.]

I'm not hungry, so I'll wait until later.

[His voice remains flat. It's not entirely a lie, either - what with being sick, even with just a cold, his appetite has been severely lacking.]

[melodyoflogic]

[He didn't look as bad as last time, at least, which was the important thing to Ayumu. He'd probably caught the cold because he'd been out in the cold so long, but Hizumi would recover from a cold just fine with time.

Ayumu steps further in, placing the bag on the table before pulling out the medicine and placing it on the table. Cold medicine, exactly like he said.] You need to eat to get better too, so make sure to eat it later.

[And he didn't doubt the possibility of Hizumi just skipping meals because of his mood, either.]

[hachitaro]

You should eat.

[Taro's voice is soft, but he pads over and nuzzles Hizumi's leg a bit.]

[bondsofsuffering]

[Hizumi bends over to scratch Taro behind the ear again, almost apologetically. It's not Taro he's particularly upset with, after all.]

...What did you make?

[Be grateful that Taro came along, Ayumu. Otherwise Hizumi may well have just returned to sleep instead.]

[melodyoflogic]

Vegetable soup, chicken and rice. [Oh, he was. He also wasn't surprised by the cool reception.] I made sure to balance the portions and nutritional value to help you get better faster, so be sure to eat it.

[He might be doubting how likely Hizumi was to eat something he made right now, but here's hoping.....]

[hachitaro]

Please eat something.

[He noses Hizumi's hand, whining a little. Come onnnn sad puppy routine.]

Then later when you feel a little better we can watch a movie or something.

[bondsofsuffering]

[Taro, stop that, he's trying to sulk here.]

...I'll eat a little. But afterward, I think I'd rather sleep.

[He still has a lot of feelings to sort out about all of this, and watching a movie isn't going to make it any easier.]

[melodyoflogic]

[He was right to have Taro come along. Him trying to convince Hizumi to eat might not go as well...] Good.

[hachitaro]

Okay.

[Taro sits down obediently, and looks over at Ayumu. Success?]

[bondsofsuffering]

[He takes a seat at the table, perhaps a little more heavily than usual. While normally talkative, today he seems to be content with slowly eating the food Ayumu had prepared. Although he can taste the quality of the meal, he doesn't even make a single jibe about it.

It isn't until he's eaten through about a quarter of it that he'll finally speak up.]

So what's the plan from here?

[melodyoflogic]

The plan? [He's got an idea of what Hizumi is asking, but he'd rather hear from him what he was comfortable discussing right now.]

[hachitaro]

Deal with whatever the city throws at us?

[That's the normal plan at least.]

[bondsofsuffering]

[Sigh. Leaving it to Hizumi to explain again, huh...]

We'll deal with the city as it comes. But I want to know what Ayumu plans to do, since he's determined not to abandon anyone.

[Blade Children included, apparently.]

Genetics is a dead end. Even if I gave you all of my research, and even if you took it to the labs and managed to convince them to let you continue it, I doubt you'll find anything.

[melodyoflogic]

I already figured that if you looked, there's no solution there. [He leans a hand against one of the chairs, meeting Hizumi's gaze levelly. He'd discussed around the possibility before, but never in detail.] I'm going to start here. In the city. In a place filled with demons, magic and the supernatural, there's a chance we might find an answer to something like this.

[It was outrageous enough of a situation in their world that finding answers was a difficulty.... but here? Where the supernatural had become the norm? That might change things.]

[hachitaro]

Exactly. I'll look into my own resources. Some of the demons here have to have an idea...

[bondsofsuffering]

[A pause, and then a nod.]

Then, good luck.

[If that is what Ayumu wills, then so be it. But Hizumi doesn't plan on offering any help on his own initiative.

As far as he's concerned, the two of them are only setting themselves up for failure. He's not about to pretend like he has any sort of hope in this endeavor.

After all, a false hope is a rather terrifying beast when you get right down to it.]

[melodyoflogic]

[He had a feeling Hizumi would choose not to help. After all, this was counterproductive to Hizumi's certainty that he couldn't be saved.

But Ayumu was willing to place his bets that he was wrong.]

I've got an idea about how to get started, so I'll keep you both in the loop as I look. There's already something about this place....