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Post by mugenginga on Oct 17, 2011 17:35:12 GMT -5
"Sensei..."
Sayuri paused with her hand over the damp and warm bandages folded over Souji's forehead, his hair lifted up to allow her to reach it. The fever had developed about an hour after his friends had left. He'd never woken up, and the pale blond who had just made the noise in his sleep had passed out. He didn't like her much, but when it came to his 'sensei' he was at least willing to put aside their differences to help. He'd passed out on a stool in a corner about three hours back.
She finished pulling the folded strip of bandage from Soujis head and placed it on the floor beside her before grabbing a fresh roll and dipping it in the water beside her, which still had traces of ice floating in it. She have it a firm wring out after soaking it and folded it up, placing it over Souji's head again before letting his hair drop back down. She placed her hands on her knees and pushed herself up, walking around the base of the futon Souji was laying on and walked over to Teddie.
She took the edges of the blanket he'd kicked off in his sleep between her fingertips and carefully pulled it up so that it was covering his body again. She'd given him the blanket shortly after he'd passed out during another trip to get a bowl of ice water for Souji's fever. It wasn't breaking, but at least she could keep it from frying Izanagi's avatar. She carefully transfered both blanket edges to one hand and pulled Teddie's arm down and reposition his legs. She'd seen cats sleep in less in unusual positions. Once she'd gotten him into some semblance of a normal sitting position she folded the blanket a bit around his shoulders so that it would stay put and walked back to Souji.
She sat down in the same position as before, with her lower legs directly under her back, and fiddled with how Souji's hair was laying over the damp bandage. It wasn't heating up as quickly as before, which indicated the fever was dropping, but...
"You always were too stubborn to see sense," she said in a gentle voice with a shake of her head, still leaning over Souji, "Why are you so eager to be rid of this aspect of yourself, Izanagi-sama..."
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Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Oct 18, 2011 23:15:08 GMT -5
The door to the residence slid open, despite the being entering, in the form of a white wolf, having no real method to open a door. The door slid shut again once Amaterasu walked in. The wolf had been in and out of the shrine over the past couple of days. While Izanami cared for Izanagi's avatar, Amaterasu had been searching for some kind of solution. The answer appeared to lie within the shrine itself, but Amaterasu couldn't think of a way to access the inside of the honden.
She came into the room just as Izanami spoke to the unconscious Souji. Though he appeared to be sleeping, he never stirred, and his fever still burned strong. It had slowly dropped over the past couple of days, likely due to Izanami's efforts. The wolf lay down next to Izanami and sat her head down on her legs.
It was a curious condition of Izanagi's. He was so dedicated to denying himself that he was actually trying to erase that part of himself. She thought back to the first time they'd met in this form. How relieved he'd looked when the two with similar hairstyles spoke up to defend him...
If I may, Izanami-obaasan, Amaterasu spoke up. I can't help but think this is all linked to his friends. I've never seen Izanagi this attached to his humanity before... Perhaps when he made as many friends as he did, he let himself forget his true nature.
She nudged Souji slightly with her nose. I think that just maybe, he's afraid he'll have to leave them behind now that he's realized who he is.
---------------
Fever dreams were, in general, absolutely terrible.
Warped images flew through Souji’s head, colors dancing about in a sea of darkness. Monsters he’d conquered before. Running through deserted city streets, into a familiar, fog filled road in a sleepy town, into a shrine he didn’t recognize. Suddenly Izanagi was standing before him, reaching for him. One steel-tipped finger touched his forehead, and then through his skull. Suddenly, he was falling back through tendrils of darkness, watching as everyone’s faces, everyone he knew, shattered into pieces on the ground. Suddenly, he realized he was standing again, and those shards of glass were raining down upon him.
Suddenly, he was being lifted again, several burnt skeletal hands picking him up tenderly as a lover might, and for a brief moment, he thought he might be safe, but when he looked up again, he found himself staring into a writhing sea of screaming masks. There was an uncomfortable sense of warmth around him, and he felt constantly chilled, like something was pulling all of the heat from his body.
He wanted to wake up. He wanted so desperately to wake up. But something kept forcing him into a deeper sleep, and he knew if he didn’t wake up soon, he wouldn’t wake up ever again. Somehow this concept was amusing to him, in a sick kind of gallows humor kind of way. If he didn’t wake up again, he wouldn’t get to see Nanako again. What a terrible big brother he’d be, never coming back to see her again. Even now, he could see her saddened face when she realized the Souji she loved was gone.
The dreams continued along this vein, and Souji remained asleep.
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Post by mugenginga on Oct 19, 2011 5:39:18 GMT -5
Sayuri didn't look up as Amaterasu walked into the room. She didn't need to in order to know who it was, or that the wolf had entered the building or even the sacred space around the shrine. There wasn't a whole lot that was blocked from entering, but there was nothing that came in without her knowledge. She pulled back from Souji as Amaterasu approached her and started for a brief moment as the wolf lay her head on her lap. She didn't object and returned to her silence. A moment later Amaterasu spoke.
Sayuri looked down at Amaterasu and opened her mouth to speak, but glanced towards Souji and closed it, considering her words before choosing to open it again, "He didn't always place himself and his comforts first. These mortal attachments he's made have put him closer to his true self than he's been since..."
She paused and closed her eyes, deep in thought. A frown marred her features, "Since he left the charge of humanity to you and fled to Takamagahara. If he's forgotten anything, it would be that his duty to his people was his original priority, the very priority he will once again lose if he succeeds in his efforts."
Izanami gently removed Amaterasu's head from her lap and pushed herself up again, bending over to gather the spent bandages and bowl of water before straightening into a standing position. She spoke without turning her head towards Amaterasu.
"His respect for me as more than a corpse best trapped and forgotten in Yomi is present only in the self he is attempting to eliminate. If his friends are the solution to the problem, perhaps you shoould inform them to beseech him instead of keeping yourself scarce as you have when they've come to visit these past days. The hatred of his corruption is too strong for me to reach past it, but it holds only minimal such hold over the friends 'Seta-san' has made," Izanami said. Her voice was eerily calm. She turned her head now, away from Amaterasu and towards the direction that the shrine's entrance was in, "And even that much has manifested only in that man's embodiment of it."
"The water needs replacing. If it pleases you, excuse me," Sayuri said. She walked foward towards the other room without waiting for confirmation. The way the sliding door closed behind her said more for how she actually felt about the situation then the calm flatness of her words. The anger was only a mask.
There was a kicking sound from the corner at the rough closing of the door followed by a thunk and a hiss as Teddie woke up and slid right out of his seat. He jerked up and was rubbing his toes throgh his shoes when he stopped and noticed Souji. He blinked in confusion and looked at the blanket that was all but tying him up. He was pretty sure he'd passed out in the chair without one... he didn't let it concern him for too long, looking first to Amaterasu and then to Souji.
"Sensei hasn't woken up then...?" he said. He looked around, apparently trying to find Izanami, "She says he'll get better if he really wants to..."
(OOC: So much myth referencing, orz. Alright, so the references made are to her threat to kill 1000 people per day and him promising to birth 1500 - that's the caring more about humanity than himself. Then he purified himself and gave birth to the Shinto trio, after which he returned to the Celestial Plain, Takamagahara, as its king. She's basically claiming he left humanity in the hands of Amaterasu (referencing her "mother" aspect), Tsukuyomi, and Susanoo and abdicated his responsibilities to it with the implication it was partially because the part of himself that cared about that cared about Izanami - looking at the myths he doesn't seem to do much after birthing those three so... Anyways, Souji's bonds have managed to express that long contained side of himself and he's trying to beat it back down/run away from it again. Or at least that's how she's intepreting it.
Also, I can't recall what we've done with Teddie's understanding of Amaterasu or not, but I'm gonna retcon it and say he CAN even without Issun if we didn't do that already. However, over the past few days that we skipped in plot he seems to have been having trouble understanding her. Yes I have a reason for this, no I'm not telling you : D )
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Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Oct 20, 2011 22:09:19 GMT -5
The wolf-formed goddess didn't object as Izanami moved her head off of her lap. She looked away from Izanami and let the goddess lay into her. The wolf gave a slight growl as she did so, but she let it drop once Izanami exited the room. She whined and lay her head on her legs. She prodded Souji with her nose a couple of times.
There was a sudden crashing noise from the other end of the room, and Amaterasu jerked her head up to look toward it, growling until she realized who it was.
It may be difficult, Amaterasu stated. I believe the key to waking him up involves his friends, but communicating with them is difficult, due to my form. Issun has been gone far too long, as well...
In fact, she hadn't seen Issun since the festival. They had parted ways in order to gather intelligence about the issue, using both of their spiritual knowledge. Since then, though, she hadn't seen hair nor antennae of him. It was beginning to worry her.
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Post by mugenginga on Oct 22, 2011 21:05:49 GMT -5
Teddie stared Amaterasu in the eyes as she attempted to speak to him. He frowned and stuck his pinkies in his ears, wiggling them around. He was looking up and to the side as he did so, as if not only concerned about the apparent ear wax but trying to figure out just what he'd just been told. It wasn't that Amaterasu was vocalizing more like a dog than usual, either. Her words were too fragmented for it to be anything but him missing words for some reason. It had definitely gotten worse lately.
"You want me to get the others and Issun? You really think that'll help? They've been here every day for the past four days and Sensei hasn't gotten any better. Well, except for Issun. And how would I even know where he was?"
It was pretty blatently obvious he hadn't correctly heard at least half of what Amaterasu had said. He did seem genuinely confused though.
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Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Oct 23, 2011 22:43:40 GMT -5
Amaterasu tilted her head to the side and whined a bit when Teddie showed confusion. The bear had been having difficulty understanding her as of late. She couldn't claim to understand Shadows in any form, but his understanding shouldn't have eroded like this.
No, Teddie, that's not what I said, Amaterasu said. But you can bring them here if you so wish.
She doubted Teddie would be able to hear even that, though. With how difficult it was to communicate with him, it would be better to let Izanami act as a byway. Of course, that was assuming Izanami would cooperate in such a way. Which didn't seem very likely at all.
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Post by mugenginga on Oct 25, 2011 20:02:55 GMT -5
Teddie looked a little... panicked was too strong, but uncomfortable didn't quite cover it. He ran a hand through his hair and squinted at Amaterasu, trying to figure ot what she'd said. He caught some of the same words, and frowned.
"I can't leave Sensei," he said, his tone indicating decision, "If you think the tohers can help, can't you get them? Where's Izanami, she shouldn't be leaving Sensei alone!"
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Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Oct 25, 2011 20:50:58 GMT -5
There was a whine of frustration from the wolf as Teddie continued to have issues with hearing her words. She wished Issun was here to communicate with Teddie for her. Where had he gone? This wasn't normal for him at all.
She's replacing his water, Amaterasu answered, and in case Teddie couldn't understand that, she turned her head toward the door Izanami had exited by.
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Post by mugenginga on Oct 26, 2011 20:36:26 GMT -5
Teddie managed to pick up water, at least. And it seemed to be enough for Teddie to understand, as his eyes wandered over to where Izanami and the bowl had been sitting. He looked upset and opened his mouth to say something, but seemed to think better of it and closed it. He instead adjusted so he was sitting crossed legged and crossed his arms and looked away with a pout. His frown was almost heartbreaking in combination with it.
The pair stood their in silence, with the third member remaining unconscious on the floor, for a few minutes before Izanami came back out with a bowl of water with several fresh icecubes floating in it. Over her other arm was draped fresh bandages. She sat down without a word in her previous position and placed a hand over the bandages over Souji's head. They'd lost the icy chill, but were still cool. She pulled back and looked towards Teddie.
"How long has it been since you've returned to your proper home?" Izanami asked.
Teddie blinked and frowned at her. He gave a hurt shrug, "I don't know, but I can't leave Sensei!"
"There is nothing you can do for him by remaining here as you have the past few days. There may be something you can discover about the fog blanketing the other side."
"How should I know what that is!" Teddie sounded offended, and Izanami's neutral tone wasn't helping, "You were the one that caused it before! You go check it out!"
"That would leave Seta-san with very little observation. Your aid despite your feelings towards me has been appreciated these past days, but I know that even you realize if I were not present your 'Sensei' would be in danger. The fever remains and is not reliable enough to take the risk of turning my eyes from him for long," Izanami stated, "I will remind you again, however, that I am not responsible for the state of your world this time around. I apologize the duress it must be placing you under, but there is nothing I can do to solve the situation. The fog surely still relates to that which man suppresses, but it responds not to me."
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Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Nov 1, 2011 23:03:59 GMT -5
The wolf lay her head down on Souji's stomach once the conversation ended, and she remained in that position until Izanami returned. She gave a light whine as Izanami and Teddie began to talk, particularly as Teddie objected to her suggestions. She looked toward the two of them when Teddie told Izanami to go check it out.
Teddie, perhaps she's right, Amaterasu suggested. For now your help would be best in the other side.
---------------------
The dream shifted again.
This time he was standing, crouched down next to a hospital bed, his hands gargantuan in comparison to the small hand he had clasped in his own. Nanako's grip was weak, and a large part of why he had it clasped so tightly was the fear that it would slip free and her breaths would cease. She looked up at him, her breaths slow and timid.
"Big... bro..."
"I'm right here," he tried to reassure her. She smiled, almost as if admonishing him for even thinking she couldn't see him.
"I'm scared..." she said, and her eyes drifted toward the ceiling. It was hard for her to talk, and Souji begged that she would save her energy and just stay quiet. "Big... bro... dad... dy..."
"Hey... hey..." Souji grasped her hand a little tighter. "It's going to be okay... you're going to make it through this... and once you get out, we're going to go get that kotatsu you wanted... I've been saving up my money, so we can go get a really good one, too... We'll go to Junes together, and pick one out together..."
With every word Souji spoke the frequency of her chest's rise and fall slowed, until, finally, it stopped. Her hand fell slack in his.
"It'll be fun, right Nanako...?"
A dull tone rang through his ears. Souji shook her hand slightly. "Nanako? Nanako?"
There was no response. Tears began to drip down his face, until there was a veritable flood. His body became wracked with sobs, and he bowed his head, to look away from the others who had rushed into the room when the machine flattoned.
"Nanako... come on, wake up..." His pleadings gained no response. "Nanako...!"
A scene began to occur around him, of the others breaking down into tears as well, of Dojima screaming with sorrow out of having lost not only his wife, but now his daughter, but Souji heard none of it. He might as well have been on the other side of an impenetrable wall for all that was going on around him. He didn't move from Nanako's side, and neither the doctor nor the nurse made any movements to do so.
Yosuke and Teddie had to pull him away from her themselves, as he'd been too numb to his surroundings to even notice that anything was going on outside. The whole world was detached to him as he walked down the hallway to Nametame's room. He wished Nanako was still alive. He wished he was dead. He wished he could just disappear. He wished a lot of things. But none of them would bring his cousin -- his sister -- back.
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Post by mugenginga on Nov 2, 2011 8:14:43 GMT -5
(OOC: And you want to give a similar pain to your friends, Izanagi. BAD BROKEN GOD. BAD. : D)
Teddie didn't even turn his head towards Amaterasu this time, it wasn't clear he'd even heard her in the form of whines that generally carried through to people who couldn't speak divine. He just continued glaring at Izanami as she gave her response to his anger. The tension in the room was downright palpable, but Izanami seemed to be ignoring Teddie at this point. Contrary to what anyone was probably expecting at this point, it was Teddie that finally lowered his head and sulked over to the chair, dropping down into it as if exhausted. The childishness look of the action created a discomforting contrast to the seriousness of the situation - while Souji couldn't be aware of it in his current state, the contrast was similar to how the innocent and naive Teddie had looked in the vision Souji was experiencing in his dreams. The one that Teddie had borne shortly before vanishing for a while.
Izanami paid no direct attention to the blond as she adjusted Souji's blanket once more before settling back into the sitting position she'd had. However, she noticed Teddie's condition out of the corner of her eye. Amaterasu was close enough that she'd probably notice Izanami considering something before she turned her head towards Teddie and spoke.
"What is the longest you have remained out of your world for?" Izanami inquired.
Teddie looked up. For the past few days bags had begun to accumulate under his eyes, and he had been sleeping in his corner an awful lot. He always seemed to wake up when he was needed, and he always acted as much of himself as he could be expected to with the stress when others dropped by, but the emotional exhaustion was apparent. Teddie was always a sort of "bright" individual, but there seemed to be a dullness creeping onto him lately. No one had really thought much of it given the circumstances though.
"A day or two..." Teddie mumbled. He leaned over and grabbed the blanket and yanked it up over himself, "I'm not leaving Sensei behind."
"This world doesn't belong to Shadows," Izanami stated simply, "Furthermore, dou have not eaten in the entire time you have been here, although I have attempted to accomodate that as well as I can - I allowed it based on what you are. However, it would seem that you are in a sense starving yourself as both Shadow and human. Your help is appreciated, but you are only a hindrance if you insist upon remaining here. Seta-san is of more importance with his illness, and I will not take care of you at the cost of my full attention to him."
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Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Nov 3, 2011 22:18:00 GMT -5
He followed them into the room where Nametame stayed, stopping before entering to keep Dojima from doing exactly what they were planning on doing themselves. Don't let the man who had already lost everything do it, let the still pure and unbroken teenagers do it instead.
Yosuke and Kanji began discussing the idea of killing Nametame. None of the girls wanted anything to do with it. Teddie was nowhere to be seen; his vote was useless.
Souji looked toward Nametame numbly. This man had killed Nanako. He'd killed his own lover and the girl who had found his lover's body (no, that couldn't be right, look at him Souji, does that look like the face of a killer) and now just to satiate that urge, he'd tried to do the same thing to an innocent little girl, and he'd succeeded. It was his fault. Everything was his fault.
And this time, Souji did what he should have done the first time around, and put the fucker in the TV.
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Teddie was starving himself? This was news to Amaterasu. The wolf had not been around enough as of late to see that Teddie's physical condition had been deteriorating. The comment about Shadows not faring well on "this side" caused Amaterasu to look toward Souji with concern. She looked back toward Teddie before walking over to him and tugging on his shirt with her teeth. If he wouldn't get up, Teddie would suddenly find himself being thrown into the air by the wolf and landing on her back in Amaterasu's patented "forcing humans to come on a ride with me" technique.
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Post by mugenginga on Nov 3, 2011 22:46:52 GMT -5
Teddie hiked up the blanket with his shoulders in response to Izanami's statements. His face was set in determination, and if he hadn't looked under the weather it would have probably looked like a little kid definitely deciding he was going to do whatever stupid impossible thing kids sometimes decided to do. Izanami set her expression as well, and looked about ready to get up when Amaterasu walked over instead. It lead to Izanami instead looking as if she'd simply been adjusting her position.
Teddie seemed satisfied he'd won his battle and let his forced expression slacken when Izanami settled back down. He blinked and looked over as Amaterasu nudged her nose under his blanket and grabbed the bottom of his shirt. He tried to shoo her away, probably as she expected, and then in the air. Izanami sighed as Teddie let out a surprised yelp before landing on the wolf-formed goddess' back. He'd be trying to get off if she didn't move quickly.
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Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Nov 4, 2011 21:17:29 GMT -5
Amaterasu was used to unruly customers, and compared to Susano and Nagi, this weakened, human formed bear was nothing. She rather nonchalantly proceeded to walk toward, and then run out the door of the house, the door once again sliding open in her path without her even needing to touch it.
She was pretty much just making a beeline for whatever TV she could find next, no matter what Teddie tried to do. It was really quite a sight to see, a blond haired teenager riding on the back of a white wolf through the middle of town.
--------------------
Teddie left after that, or perhaps during that. No one was quite sure when he'd left, but no one went looking for him. No one talked about the murders or the TV World. No one mentioned Teddie. It was like the murders had never happened, even with the fog growing thicker and thicker.
He threw up later when the full realization of what he'd done hit. He'd murdered someone. It was too late for him to run into the other side; the fog was so thick now that he was sure the Shadows had gone berserk. They'd find Namatame the next day, hanging from a telephone pole or tangled up in the power lines or something of the sort.
The room was full of fog...
His head spun, and once again an uncomfortable chilled feeling was setting into his body. There was something else too, as his vision began to go dark. He couldn't quite recognize the feeling. It was almost like his consciousness was being pulled from his body and stored somewhere else.
Everything was melting around him as the dream began to take a turn for the surreal once more. He grasped his head, his whole body shaking. Something was trying to come out of him. A harsh shattering noise rang through his head, overpowering even the sound of his own heartbeat. He looked up and saw Izanagi, but not the one he used. This one dripped with blood, and he could feel it leering at him from behind its mask.
I am thou, it taunted. And thou art I. Though which part am I? The part that wishes to accept his true purpose? Or the part that wants to run away and be a normal person together with his friends?
It floated closer to Souji and cupped his head in its metal tipped hands. Contradictory desires, and you can't choose which one you want most. That's the real reason I'm gone, why you're stuck in this coma, and why I appear like this, and you know it. Let me help you decide...
Tentacles covered in screaming faces, certainly not part of Magatsu Izanagi, began to rise from the ground. The Persona's mask cracked apart, revealing a dark void within his maw.
Let me help you.
And now Souji was being swallowed by the darkness, falling further and further...
falling...
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Post by mugenginga on Nov 4, 2011 21:52:44 GMT -5
Teddie tried to object and jerk his way off, even after Amaterasu began running at full tilt. He also tried to twist around to look at where they were running from. For the turn around he got a tail to the face and for the attempting to get off, the large white wolf would hop to one side and then the other, like a living fulcrum balancing the teenager on top of herself.
At the speed she was going, it really wouldn't take her very long to find a television, especially given one of the requirements for entering was it be turned off. Given Amaterasu's skills, getting into some storage house wouldn't be a problem in the least.
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This path is easier. This path is safer. Why suffer if you musn't? Humanity is weak, you know this. It can put up a bravado, it can win sometimes, even frequently, but in the end it all succumbs to its inherent madness and turns to dust. It's greatest strength is its greatest weakness, the mind is a fragile thing. Discard it, discard the pain. Come, just a simple step. All it takes is a single step, and you can end it. How many steps would the other direction take, to an end you can't see, you can't hold you can't grasp. Come... Take the hand...
The tentacles split into two distinct parts, rocketing away from each other as they seperated like an insect pulling itself free from a cocoon, only faster. To one side, the side Magatsu Izanagi beckoned towards, the tendrils melted into what seemed like an endless abyss. Seemed like it to look at, but one could feel the end. It was only a step away, a single hand placed in another from access, and the darkness was comforting.
To the other side, the expanse was similar, but there was no end to be felt. It was a dark tunnel somehow indicating edges despite the color being the same as the darkness all around the teenager. The ground had black tendril spikes, writhing as if reaching up - the steps in that direction would not be able to avoid the spikes. And every few steps into the distance was another figure, and behind it, another. And another, ad infintum. All illformed, a black miasmic presence, but fear radiated from it. Fear and obstacles neverending.
Let me help you.
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Izanami frowned as she checked the bandages on Souji's head. They were already dry, and warm to the touch. She pulled them off and gave a tight lipped stare at Souji for a moment before placing the back of her hand over his forehead. Her eyes widened and she pulled back, flexing her fingers and placing them in her hand. It had spiked again, worse than before. She looked at her hand for a solitary moment before springing to her feet and rushing into the other room. Blankets, and lots of them. His fever was ready to break but if she couldn't force it to happen quickly, his body would fry itself.
She wasn't sure why she fought so much. She could speak of Izanagi's true purpose all she wanted, but at the end of the day "Seta-san" was still merely a human form. The thought surfaced, and then brushed away as if by a flap of a wing. One meaningless life... that she had to fight for.
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A pulse emanated outwards from the main part of the shrine, and washed through the other parts in time with Izanami brushing away the thoughts of giving up her efforts. It drew back in on itself and those with spiritual sense would feel the honden all but buzzing with energy. All but those within the building housing Souji and Sayuri. A darkness seemed to be sealing around it.
There was clearly more of a battle going on than Souji's fight for his humanity to anyone inside the sacred barrier who could sense such things...
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