my heart is a furnace

[wantsnudes]

Who: Fox and Caedra (edit: plus whoever's here for the fallout!)
What: For all Caedra's done to make the residents of Hadriel suffer, Fox takes revenge.
Where: The north island
When: Post-monster event, nighttime
Warnings: Violence, body horror, mentions of character death, allusions to childhood abuse.


It's a dangerous plan. Fox knows it is, but he knows he's all out of other options. So with the ring given to him by Rage hanging around his neck, and his katana in hand, the masked teenager has to face the confrontation that's been eating away at him for months. He hasn't even sent a calling card-- he's not stealing a heart this time, and while this may be about justice, he's acting alone, not on the behest of the Phantom Thieves.

It takes time to track down Caedra: her movements are unpredictable, and it's made all the more difficult by the city being split into islands, and by his preference to move under the cover of darkness. After a few nights of unsuccessful searching, he manages to track her down to one of the rocky beaches where they're surrounded by sea -- where there's nowhere for her to run except to the water, or through him.

He steels himself, and emerges from the shadows, eyes bright with anger behind his kitsune mask.

"Caedra! Your cruelty ends here."

Comments

[vocarrah]

"Persona...other self." Ianchus mulls it over, and then his expression eases into a smile.

"Yusuke, you really are amazing, aren't you."

[wantsnudes]

Yusuke offers a small, pained smile. "It's a power I gained to stand up against those who use their own power to hurt others. If my actions give even one person courage... I feel like I will have succeeded."

[vocarrah]

That turns his expression a little sad, and he moves the chair closer, reaching to hold Yusuke's hand in both of his again.

"...Please don't think you have to do anything alone anymore. Isn't that what you told me? I don't have...magic, but...let me lend you my strength, somehow, from here on out."

[wantsnudes]

Yusuke's expression wavers, and after a brief hesitation, he nods.

"I promise. I'll depend on you, just as I asked you to rely on me. I won't hide when I'm in trouble any longer."

[vocarrah]

"And..." He leans closer, the corner of his mouth quirking slightly. "...when you're thinking of doing something foolish. Tell me that too, ah? I promise I won't get in your way, but I'm not going to leave you to deal with these kinds of things alone."

[wantsnudes]

Yusuke chuckles slightly, though it dies with a wince. "I'll tell you everything, I promise. Thank you for always being so kind to me, Ianchus."

He rubs at his eyes, exhausted and still feeling a little emotional. Yet looking happy, nonetheless.

"I mean that from the bottom of my heart."

[vocarrah]

Ianchus smiles and then (at the risk of annoying his friend while he's in a vulnerable place) reaches out and brushes his hair from his forehead.

"Of course. Let's not hide things from each other if we can help it, ah?"

He hesitates, the smile fading a little. "I'm sorry I became angry. It wasn't...it wasn't directed at you."

[wantsnudes]

Yusuke briefly closes his eyes at the touch, a silent gesture of permission.

"I... I know. It frightened me, truthfully, but I understand how you feel." He opens his eyes and looks at him once more. "I'll try not to do anything to make you feel that way again."

[vocarrah]

"Lay back," he says soothingly, continuing to stroke Yusuke's hair, feeling his fevered forehead. "Don't worry about how I feel, ah? I just...worry about you." He blinks, a thought coming into his head. "...Did you tell Akira about this?"

[wantsnudes]

Yusuke does so and lays down, eyes flickering at that soothing touch. He'd like nothing more than to sleep, but he also wants to stay awake to reassure Ianchus.

"I told him everything. About what I intended to do, and how."

[vocarrah]

"So you weren't completely alone." He sighs in relief, continuing to stroke Yusuke's hair.

"I'm glad. I think that would be the worst--dealing with this on your own." Especially with how everyone seemed to react to the news. He hadn't paid much attention, but he'd also been surprised, to say the least.

[wantsnudes]

"So long as I have you and Akira, I'll be fine," he mumbles softly. His eyes are fluttering closed and he can feel himself beginning to drift off under Ianchus's touch.

[vocarrah]

"That's right. You're not alone." Ianchus' hand slips over Yusuke's eyes gently.

"Rest now. We can talk later, figure things out. I'll be here...if I'm not, contact me through the device. Alright?"

[wantsnudes]

"All right," he says, although at this point it's hard to tell if he registered what he said or if he's just agreeing through an exhausted haze. Either way, Yusuke's breathing begins evens out. Feeling close to someone he can trust like this, he feels at ease enough to soon fall asleep.