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[ Just about the last thing he wants is a partner. In Rohan's experience, having assistants helping him with his work would only ever slow him down. While he hasn't actually been in that many fights, he still finds that fact true -- everything's easier when you do it all on your own. The more people around, the more troublesome things get (unless he's with one of the maybe 2-3 people he actually likes).

Those are the rules, however. They'll be assigning him a partner for this, and there's really nothing he can do but accept it. Accept it he will, but will he actually make an effort to get along with this guy? Probably not. In fact, he sets that record straight from the immediate get-go with the lousy attitude he takes the moment he meets up with Takasugi. They're somewhere outside the temple, but Rohan looks like the last person who would be coming here for prayer with the dismissive expression on his face. ]

Ahh, you must be the one. I'm not the sort of person who beats around the bush, so I'll be straight with you. It's better for the both of us if you just do what I tell you to and stay out of my way. I already have a plan for this. I don't want to see it ruined.

[ His plan, of course, being that he'll be infomodding the temple workers until he can find someone with information on that one shaman that their benefactor is looking for. ] Actually, if you'd rather give up and go home instead, that's fine too.

[The sentiment is mutual - down to expecting the inconvenient partner to shut up and listen to directions. Takasugi's had mixed experience with Cree's assigned 'companions'. Some have been useful, content to follow along with his lead. Others obstinate, nothing but dead weight.

This guy, however, might force Takasugi to expand his description of 'awful company'.

That'll have to be mutual, too.

Takasugi listens to the pronouncement with an unwavering grin. Nothing makes him want to ruin something more than being told not to ruin it - he's not above simple pettiness.]

Oh? No, I'm quite comfortable letting you do all the work. [False.

But for now, he'll let this guy carry him however far he can.

Not that he'll be taking orders. Takasugi slips into the temple after his contrary confirmation, leading the way into the cult's labyrinthine halls.]

[ Petty meets petty, incredible. Rohan was half hoping this 'partner' would decide to get up and leave. Not only are they staying, but they've got some attitude to them that he finds himself disliking immediately. Sure, he told Takasugi not to do anything, but now that that same idea is framed in a slightly different way and thrown back at him, giving the implication that Rohan is carrying the whole mission, he doesn't like it. He said 'do what I tell you to', not 'don't do anything'! Rohan hates it when people sass him right back or do anything to undermine him, so he's hating the circumstances already. ]

If that's your answer, I'd prefer if you just went home. [ HMPH!!! But oh, the guy is walking in already, things are set into motion. This little bitchfight can be settled later, because Rohan does know how to focus on a task when he wants to. ]

With Heaven's Door, I'm able to extract the information I need out of whoever I want. All I'll need is someone to use it on. [ Surely one of the temple's workers will know where that one shaman they're looking for is. ]

['Going home' had never been an option - Takasugi would be more likely to abandon his partner and go about the mission alone. See who could skewer the bastard Shaman first. But if he'd been contemplating it, it'd be off the table now.

Much like anything else Rohan expects of him.

The bitchfight will never end.

Announcing a power's ability and name isn't impressive. This guy just sounds like he's trying to posture as some sort of hero. Villain? Takasugi doesn't offer any response as he continues deeper into the temple and turns down a narrow hallway.

A pair of shaman approach, their faces hidden in the shroud of their hoods. No doubt surprised by the unannounced guests in their halls, they waver - but Takasugi doesn't. He darts forward, ramming his elbow into one's gut before grabbing the other by the scalp and slamming his head into the wall.

There's a crack; the Shaman under his palm loses consciousness, while the other sputters on his knees, left for Rohan to read as he wishes.] Get the layout of the place, while you're at it.

[ He's no fighter, not quite the type who's accustomed to seeing violence unfold around them. Before the Storm, Rohan's main occupation was only that of a manga artist after all, even if he was a manga artist who often had to deal with bizarre attempts at his life. His eyes can barely follow as Takasugi performs his fluid series of moves, subduing the men before they even have the chance to respond, and before anyone knows it they're on the ground. ]

What?! When did you --

[ Okay, he will acknowledge, though very begrudgingly, that his opponent has some skill in fighting. He won't give the guy any praise though, or even acknowledge his skill in any outward way. Takasugi just ordered him around after all, and with his petty personality he hates it when other people try to control him. Rohan composes himself almost immediately, huffing loudly. ]

Shut up. I'll get whatever information is needed. [ Which means that, yeah, he's going to get the layout of the place too. Of course, he won't be doing it because Takasugi asked him to. Rohan steps over the other shaman, stealing a quick glance at him to see how he's doing. The man has lost consciousness, but he does appear to be alive. That's ... good, he doesn't want to be an accessory to murder, even if he won't be caring enough to go dragging the guy to the hospital either. Now, on to their unwilling victim -- ]

And there's no need to knock them out; my Stand would have anyway. [ Rohan touches them with his finger and the skin of their face, chest and portions of their arms open up, revealing not flesh, but pages. Much like a book. It's all readable and Takasugi is free to peruse. Also, while all this is going on, there's an odd-looking ghost man that's hovering by Rohan's side.

The pages will contain pretty much everything this person knows, feels and has experienced. Of course, it'll take time to get through all that information. With his now nerfed power, they only have 1 minute before the effect wears off. ]

[Rohan's surprise is acknowledgement enough. That Takasugi acting so unexpectedly didn't deter his partner from his task only guarantees he'll do as he pleases again. Not that the odds of that were low, to begin with.

With a reaction that seems unaccustomed to violence, is left to wonder if this guy is capable of anything himself. Or if he's just all talk, and no action. Usually people who name their abilities aren't worth much.

Takasugi's smile stays, plastered across his face, as he moves to the side for Rohan to access the unconscious man. He gives the strange apparition a glance, but more interesting is the flesh-rended book that's come to life before him.] Hoh-

[He only needs a moment of gleaning its pages to know the contents are specific to the man they're peeling apart.

So there's some credence to Rohan's skill, after all.

Wasting no time, Takasugi reaches to turn the page, already skimming for anything that looks like blueprints or a map of the hall. When he finds it, he'll rip it from the 'book'.

What does that mean for the victim? Who cares.]

[ 'Who cares' indeed, because Rohan sure doesn't. The victim will be unable to recall whatever information was on that page, since it's been literally ripped from their mind, and probably get lost in the labyrinth later. They'll also lose some weight, but no other harm will come to them. Rohan doesn't feel bad for the guy at all, but he doesn't like it when people go against what he expects ...

And who could expect this partner he's just met, ripping a page out of a man's face? ] Can you see whose ability this is? It's mine, I didn't say you could touch anything.

[ If Takasugi has his hands on any other pages, Rohan will swat them away like a child refusing to share their new toy. There is a part of him that hates this because he got sent to the hospital by that shitbag Josuke for doing the exact same thing, and he doesn't see Takasugi facing any consequences! Hmph. Though, he can acknowledge that having this face-map is going to be very convenient for them while navigating the labyrinth.

Now, on to the mission. Rohan starts flipping through more pages. ] The name of the shaman we're after is Sha'li, one of the head priests. It looks like he's of such high rank, it's difficult to meet him. He has a vested interest in ... officiating Volkkran pacts.

[ Weirdo. But okay. He's just going to read more about these pacts now, since he's new in town and knows nothing. ]

Edited (when you've been spelling it wrong this whole time) 2018-04-25 04:31 (UTC)

[Now he's being scolded, literally slapped on the wrist as he reaches back towards the book to thumb through more pages. Takasugi's hand lingers, not dissuaded by the petulant opposition-

But he'll let this guy have his turn.

While he looks on, leaning over his partner's shoulder with no consideration given to personal space. Takasugi skims along, searching for the shaman's name the moment it's mentioned.

And then he backs away - he's well aware of what a Valkkran pact is. He'll just let his companion soak in the information, the implications, while he lights his pipe.]

So.

Want to try it? [For real? Fake it? He doesn't care-]

[ At this point he's definitely gotten the information that he needs, and he starts to write into his victim, issuing his command:

《I will pass out and forget about everything that happened.》 He then releases his victim and the man passes out, as foretold. He won't remember a thing about their encounter, and he definitely won't know how to get out of the labyrinth now that the information has been stolen from his mind.

Rohan did manage to gain some useful information from those pages, in the limited time he was allowed to peruse. ] It's a union between soulmates, isn't it? Like a marriage. Pass.

[ He dislikes most people and is also a free bitch. Still: ] However, it looks like our only way of getting this shaman out. We could always pretend.

[Denying this ability's usefulness would be bullheaded, at this point - Takasugi watches the man crumple with a placid smile, turning towards his companion before the body has settled on the stone. He'll acquiesce the convenience-

But there's really no need to name the power.

He lifts his jaw, considering the suggestion (one made in earnest, as opposed to his). Then, with a shrug,] We'll need to be convincing.

I doubt we're the first to fake romantic passion. [Might as well start now. A hand slides over Rohan's shoulder; Takasugi drapes his weight against the other man before pulling out the map he's procured.]

Let's go be linked in view of the elder Dragons, beloved... [Is that even the right religious vernacular?]

Edited 2018-05-03 23:14 (UTC)

Ugh ... [ He's touchy about personal space to begin with. He definitely doesn't like being held or pressed against. If not for the farce they're pulling, he would be shoving the guy away immediately. ]

I'm not a mangaka with any interest in adding romance to my story, but as a top mangaka I have to be well-versed in all genres. I guess, if I simply pretend I'm a character with a love interest ...

[ He might actually know how to deal with this. On a human-level, he really doesn't. It might be the strangest way to cope with the situation, but nobody said he was a regular person.

It will look forced, but he'll try ... Allowing Takasugi to sidle up to him is already the first step. ] Hmph. Very well. Though, to put up a convincing front, I'll actually have to know your name.

[ Can't be lovers with someone when you don't know even know what to call them, right? They actually should have done this from the start, but Rohan's the type to forget about introductions. ] Mine is Rohan Kishibe.

[There's nothing fake about Takasugi's weight - if he's not outright bearing down on Rohan, then he's pressing into him. Like he could curl the man in his arm, and hold him to his chest, at any moment.

It'd be intimate, if he wasn't doing it almost exclusively to test his partner's limits.

Better to know them now, than to realize what 'too far' is when they're standing at the altar.

Though, with all that babble about 'getting into character', Takasugi wonders if there's a boundary to reach.] Rohan. [He repeats it, already idly plucking through his thoughts for a nickname.]

Tani Umenosuke. [Isn't his name, but it's good enough. Plenty of people know him by that moniker, rather than his actual name.] I don't want to bother with your details-

We've just met, and fallen madly in love. [Surely that's a common enough situation.] Reckless and enamored... [It's almost a romantic story; Takasugi leans to nuzzle his jaw into the other man's hair.

Just... getting into character.]

[ The gesture can be seen as tender, but Rohan knows better than to think that it is. It's the genuine, innocent displays of affection that have him caught in his tracks, at a loss for what to do. Something like this, a half-embrace that was really no more than a blatant attempt at pushing his buttons, is what he's much more equipped to deal with.

Of course the proximity has him tense, his body very unused to being quite this close to someone else, but beyond a look of discomfort and petulance he makes sure to control his reaction. If he makes a fuss, gets riled up and pushes the guy away, it feels like he's losing a battle. ] That's a weak premise. If I were a reader, I wouldn't accept it at all.

[ Nobody likes a random ship that came out of nowhere, okay. There has to be build up or the readers will hate it!!

There's a slow exhale taken to calm his nerves, to relax his body into the touch. While he still prefers personal space, he can forgo that desire in favour of showing Takasugi he's not that easily shaken up. Anyway, they might need to act the part later, right? He has to get used to it somehow. ]

Tani Umenosuke. [ A very pointed way to say someone's name, almost like he's scolding. Rohan then looks the other man in the eye. ] Are you trying to test my limits? [ Because he can take anything that's thrown at him, thanks. ]

[The critique does nothing to wipe the smile off of Takasugi's face. But the next 'romantic' nuzzle is harsher, the jut of his jaw coming down too hard on the man's scalp. There are limits of intimacy, and then there are limits of imagination-

Takasugi's stops where an intricate backstory begins; if the shaman is crazy for pacts, he won't care why an errant couple has come for his services. He'll be thrilled for the opportunity. It's not so complex.

Or so Takasugi assumes.

The assumption, in part, based in an obstinate refusal to indulge Rohan's complaint.]

Who said anything about you having limits? [Wow what a backhanded compliment.

Takasugi's hand curls, thumb brushing Rohan's neck before curling along his jaw. They're madly in love, so any and all ~~PDA~~ physical affection is only to be expected.] When it comes time to seal the pact, I don't expect you to hold back.

[He has no real intention of letting things progress that far with the shaman, but neither does he care to go about this with any reservations.]

[ Wow. Rude. He may be in a crop top 4 days out of 5 but that doesn't mean he's a ho. The petulant look on his face only deepens when he feels fingers by his neck, but he's already endeavored to carry out the farce, so he's going to keep it up no matter what.

Oh, he's thought of something, though! Rohan's in better spirits now, smirking a little. ]

Hmph. I'll carry out whatever needs to be done, so you can stop underestimating me. Though, I read one part about some pacts being sealed by the drinking of blood ...

[ IT'S TRUE BUT ALSO A CHEAP SHOT AT SCARING 'TANI' RIGHT BACK. Something like this would scare that fucker Josuke at least, but he has a feeling Tani is cut from a much tougher cloth than that. (Seeing as he started their adventure on an intense note by cracking a man's skull.) Well, anything's worth a try if there's a chance Rohan can feel like he's won. Life's a competition, and he hates losing, alright?

Rohan takes a step back, breaking their proximity, but offers a hand. They're doing it now, they're holding hands. Time to play their shoujo manga part. ] Let's go then, beloved.

[Losing the petulant purse of Rohan's lip to a misguided countenance of victory dampens Takasugi's desire to push the lines of intimacy further. He's sure he could wrench the man's sense of accomplishment from him, with a hand jerking his jaw into place and a tease of lips against lips.

But there's no reason to take things that far. ~~Is Rohan wearing lipstick? Takasugi doesn't want that on his face.~~

Especially not when the man is escalating the myth in a more familiar direction. Takasugi chuckles, disconnecting easily when his partner decides to slip away. He's sipped dragon's blood at an altar before, he can do it again.

All the easier if they only have to drink each other's.

He doesn't know the details.

Rohan's hand gets fixed with a dull stare, inaction dragging a moment too long to be anything but awkward, before Takasugi takes it. His hold is loose, a flimsy reciprocation to the man's commitment. (He didn't initiate it, so he doesn't care to follow through.)]

Aa. I hope you can stomach it. [The blood. The 'romance'. Losing this fight..]

[ wow green lipstick is very chic

The way there is strained and far from what either of them would call 'pleasant', but they eventually make it past the winding labyrinth pathways to the main hall. Rohan's enlisted the help of one of the lesser priests to usher them into the hall, writing in that religious man's head 'These two lovers wish to form a pact, I will help them'. That man will believe that as the absolute truth, of course, no matter how unlikely the case may be later on.

Now's their time, then. They have to put on the real act. Outside the earshot of anyone around them, Rohan warns him: ] Try not to mess this up for the both of us.

[ Haha, like Takasugi's the one more likely to mess this up ...

He gives his 'lover' for the afternoon a tug at their hands, pulling him into the hall. Once inside, there's what appears to be an intricately-carved concrete bed in the center of the hall, a likely place for the soon-to-be-wed to reaffirm their bonds in a passionate spectacle. Beside that structure is a table where two knives are on display. One of the temple hands are washing the blood off of it with rosewater.

So, what he read about the pacts might be true after all. Good to know. Thankfully, the priest he's controlling covers the introductions for them, stating their purpose and beckoning the head shaman out. Rohan only has to reaffirm. ]

Yes, it's all true. Just being with him isn't enough. I want everyone to know that he is mine, and I am his. [ Uhh, gross!!! But he has to endure this. ]

[emo kids only care about eyeliner

Fingers coiled into Rohan's, there's nothing much to do while they traverse the last of the labyrinth but eventually acquiesce to the man's warmth. Not that there's any comfort in their connection, but Takasugi does let his fingers wander, tracing what they can along the other's, noting what few callouses they run across.

They aren't too fighting, much too precise for that.

He leaves the thought for later, not gratifying Rohan's quip with even the dullest of recognition. All he offers is a glance from the bed to his partner. Will they need to go that far? ~~So be it.~~

Though he's more partial to the knives. Seeing one another open is intimate no matter the context.]

There's nothing more absolute than laying our love bare for the great Dragon. [Lead with some flattery...] Perhaps he can quell our desperate desire to be one. [Releasing his grip, Takasugi offers his hands forwards to the Shaman. Part of the ritual? Maybe, maybe not, he doesn't know, but it's certainly deferential.

And he hates that more than he hates playing lover with this idiot.]

closed

takasugi - hunting for some ass

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extra violence is the only option

chill out taka 1/2

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