dear_mun | In regards to a somewhat impulsive voicetest

...Kazama-san.

[She heaves a heavy sigh. Some things never change - his attitude is one of them, she supposes. That's both a good thing and a bad thing, though she can't decide if one of them is more prevalent than the other.

Well, she supposes she should at least warn him.]

That place... arguing about it won't do you any good.

Hm.

[Kazama's eyes narrow, but his expression isn't particularly hostile. If anything, it's unimpressed. Where was her usual bullheadedness, he wondered? Had she been broken so easily? He wouldn't have it.]

I don't intend to argue. Words are often useless, especially where humans are concerned.

[He sticks his nose arrogantly in the air, his hand drifting lazily to the hilt of his sword.]

You should know by now that I prefer other methods of persuasion.

[She will never stop sighing around this man.]

...yes, I'm very aware. [Her gaze follows the path of his hand to his sword hilt and she shifts a little uncomfortably, before her lips tug down into a frown.] But... it's...

[If he shows up, he's going to find out the hard way. She might as well give him fair warning.]

Your usual methods of persuasion... people have tried them, and they haven't worked. You'll see it for yourself, when you arrive.

[Her sigh is returned with a sigh. Kazama raises one of his eyebrows, letting his hand drop back down to his side again. His expression goes back to its normal unenthusiastic grimace.]

It's of little consequence. [He'd been made to do things, in the past, that left a bad taste in his mouth. Things that had compromised his honor and his ego. These were not things he was looking to repeat.] When I've made up my mind, I get what I want.

[This was a fact, and was stated as such. Chizuru, herself, was proof, though she didn't quite seem to be acting like it. This only make him frown further.]

You look uncomfortable. Why?

...

[So stubborn. He really won't ever change, and in better circumstances that would probably make her giggle, but in this circumstance... that determination isn't going to help him at all. It's only going to make matters worse, and then what will become of him?

...he still leaves her uneasy, sometimes, but he had also escorted her to Ezo. The thought of Kazama being subjected to that doesn't sit well with her, for whatever reason. Maybe it's because his behavior is more in line with what she remembers of him recently, as opposed to the behavior she'd seen from him over the years when she was with the Shinsengumi.]

I'm not... uncomfortable. [That's a lie.] It's simply... a little strange. ...to think you might be going to a place like that.

Don't lie. It's unbecoming.

[His tone is sharp, but hardly a reprimand. It's not as if anyone has ever taken her for a good liar, after all, and Kazama had never been particularly bothered by her transparency. His shoulders slump, slightly, something strange crossing his expression briefly as his gaze becomes faraway.]

Strange isn't the word I'd choose. [Humiliating, on the other hand, was.] It's disgusting. I won't be expected to behave so boorishly. I already have my bride.

[No one else would be necessary. But then, if she was already there, perhaps it wasn't much of a problem. Thinking of this, Kazama gives Chizuru a sidelong glance and the beginnings of a familiar grin.]

[Her lips curve down into a slight pout. He sees through her so easily - is it really that obvious? ...or does he know her that well? Somehow, it's a very strange thought, to think that Kazama of all people understands her.

...or maybe he doesn't, if he thinks the whole bride thing is going to work. The pout becomes a slight frown and she crosses her arms. Unfortunately, that grin isn't quite so familiar to her - certainly, she's seen him grin before, but not under the circumstances he remembers.]

...you're taking it for granted, Kazama-san...! I never agreed to that...

[Either way the grin snaps back down into a scowl at her response, his shoulders tensing. Was this supposed to be cute? Honestly. He was done with the whole cat-and-mouse routine. They were beyond this. It wasn't as if they were strangers.]

I'm taking nothing for granted. I made myself perfectly clear when I came for you in Edo; what reason do you have to object now?

...

[...

She's going to have to choose her words very carefully here; she may be a little slow on the uptake, sometimes, but this is something she recognizes. A careless word will likely do much more harm than she really intends. But how can she make it clear enough without coming off as attempting to be coy?]

Kazama-san... the last time I was in Edo was when you, Amagiri-san, and I confronted my father.

What?

[Taken aback by her response, Kazama can't mask the surprise that flashes in his eyes. But he knows she's not lying. She's not even trying to lie. She sounds...hesitant. Earnest. But what she says isn't possible. It must be this place--where ever it is this place is, exactly. He shakes his head.]

It's been six months since you asked me to accompany you to Ezo in search of the Shinsengumi.

Six months since Ezo...?

[She bites her lip and furrows her brow. That doesn't... seem right. No matter how she thinks about it, that much time simply hasn't passed. Slowly, she shakes her head.]

...as I remember it... we arrived, and we... [She looks down at her feet.] ...we found out what happened to them. And then you left... it's only been a few days.

[He frowns so heavily in thought at her words it wouldn't be surprising if he seems angry.]

I didn't leave. [He corrects her in a low tone that almost sounds like a hiss, taking a step closer.] Not without telling you how I felt, and to come find me when you were ready.

[Kazama sighs, his scowl lessening, if slightly.]

Not that you ever did. And so I came to you.

[Big shock there.]

...

[She takes a step back, on instinct.]

If... you came to me, you came too quickly. I told you, Kazama-san, it's only been a few days. I haven't left Ezo yet... you couldn't have come to me in Edo.

[And what's this business about "how he felt"... she shakes her head slowly, uncomprehending.]

I don't understand...

...

[Watching her step away from him, Kazama feels somehow...displeased. He sighs, his gaze turning down. There's something subtly sad about his shift in attitude.]

You don't.

[When he speaks, it sounds more to himself than to her. He sighs for a second time.]

I waited so long I got tired of it and vowed I'd never wait again. Still, it seems I have no other choice.

[She's heard, from the Shinsengumi, that as they remember it Kazama was volatile and relentless in his pursuits; she witnessed him behaving, but comparing it there are more instances where he gives her reason to be afraid than he gives her reasons to trust him.

...still, the Kazama standing in front of her is so very much like the one who had escorted her to Ezo even though he hadn't been obligated to. That, coupled with the fact that he almost seems sad... actually makes her feel a little guilty.

The apology bubbles up to the surface, unbidden.]

I'm sorry, Kazama-san.

[At her apology, Kazama turns his narrow gaze toward Chizuru once more.]

…

[He seems to consider something. Then, all at once, for how (almost) sad he seemed just a moment ago, his expression is once again an unreadable mask.]

Think nothing of it. This little setback is hardly discouraging.

[All Kazama had to do was keep trying. He’d prefer it if Chizuru would willingly accept his advances, as she had finally come to do, but as always he’d make do. Feelings were, in the end, irrelevant. And he wasn’t about to humiliate himself by putting his heart on his sleeve for a second time. Once was enough. At least for this decade.]

[That's... somewhat ominous, actually, the way he refers to it as a "little setback" - as if it's something minor, to be overlooked. Chizuru thinks it's anything but minor, seeing as obviously something had changed in those six months to make him think he'd succeeded in taking her as his bride.

(Is it possible there's actually some version of her that would have agreed? She's not sure how to feel about that.)]

At... any rate. [She's just going to change the subject. Kind of. Sort of. She'll try to, anyway.] Some of the Shinsengumi is there, so please don't...

[...wait, no, that's not good, abort mission abort mission no wait maybe she should finish this thought since it's sort of important.]

Please don't fight with them. It won't end well for anyone involved.

[Kazama sighs. As he does. He is, of course, still determined to make her his bride, but now that he actually likes her he might as well let her get away with talking about what she will. He only wishes that she could think of something to say that didn't involve the Shinsengumi. Oh well. He supposes there are worse topics.]

I have no intention of doing so. I told you before--[He hesitates.]--if you remember, that my debt has been fulfilled. Involving myself in human affairs no longer entertains me. There would be no reason to engage them in battle.

[Here, he frowns.]

I cannot say the same for them, however, and I will not hold back if they decide to turn their blades on me.

[She nods slightly - perhaps the wording is a little different than what he remembers, but she does remember him saying something along those lines.]

...I do remember you saying something like that, but...

[But Souji is there and he's already been to re-education for threatening someone once, and she doesn't know for sure that he'll behave himself if he sees Kazama. And the others...]

Kazama-san, just like how you and I remember things differently, they remember things differently, too. To many of them, you... [...how does she word this...] The you they remember has given them reason to be very wary of you.

[At her words he only frowns further. He seems to consider them, but the haughtiness of his response makes it clear that he's not understanding her correctly. As per usual, he's drawing the assumptions that best suit him.]

They'd be foolish not to. It's not the place of a human to take a demon for something less than a threat.

[Oh boy, just the person he wants to see in the city. Does Souji look happy? Well... he is sort of smiling. Sort of. In the 'I want to rip your insides out' sort of way.]

No one cares what you think, to begin with, so what's the point in whining?

[If Kazama shows up he doesn't care about Re-Education he's going to fight him in the streets all he wants, damn it.]

[Ugh. Exactly what Kazama needs. Shouldn't this one be rotting away in a ditch somewhere? He doesn't even offer a sardonic smile as he sighs his annoyance. Disdain drips from his voice as he addresses Souji.]

I see your masters let you off your leash. Should you be yapping so loudly? We wouldn't want you compromising your health.

I think my health can stand being around you for a little while longer. Thanks for the concern - not that I need it from a bastard like you.

[No love here. Absolutely none. :|]

So, you're going to come join us in that shithole then? When should I expect to be carving you open?

[Please be making with the coming close to Chizuru. He dares you.]

[Kazama gives a low, humorless laugh.]

You shouldn't. Such a feat would be impossible for one of your ilk.

[His expression sours once again.]

I have no desire to become entrenched in human affairs any further. If I have any say, I won't be joining you anywhere.

You won't get a say with how they work so there's no sense struggling.

[Though he does enjoy seeing someone who can make your day awful, Kazama.]

Hmph. Are you implying there's more sense in simply giving in?

[Kazama wouldn't stand for it. If he was going to bow down to anyone at all, it would certainly not be a human but a demon--and even that was a stretch.]

I'm appalled. [And most certainly unamused.] I thought you to have more pride.

[Perhaps he gave the Shinsengumi more credit than they had ever deserved.]

No, I'm implying you're not smart enough to outsmart your captor.

[Souji Okita: living life on the edge.]

I threw away pride in favor of being a sword, so I don't need lofty things like that.

[Nor does he care about it, even less so the longer he's been in the City. Chizuru staying out of Re-ed and keeping his promise to her to stay out of there himself take priority. Let's see how long that 2nd promise sticks...]

[Ever the cool cucumber, although Kazama's lips curl up as if to snarl, his voice remains perfectly even.]

You should think before you speak so boldly; your insults do you no favors.

[Or, hey, maybe Okita was simply daft. That was pretty likely. The disease must have been affecting the blood flow to his brain.]

Hm. True.

[Here, Kazama's tone becomes much closer to its usual arrogance.]

I suppose you wouldn't. What good is a warrior's pride to a lame dog?

[Go back to bed. Shoo.]

Edited 2014-05-20 15:16 (UTC)

[Aw, but this is so fun! He missed you, Kazama... he likes being able to abuse his favorite toys.]

Oh? That just makes me want to speak more boldly and see how mad you can get.

[Like poking a bear perhaps?]

I wouldn't know since I'm not a dog.

[You can't send him to bed! You aren't his mother. :|]

[Hate to break it to you Okita, but if it looks like a dog, sounds like a dog, and smells like a dog...it is, in all likelihood, a dog.]

Do as you will. Your childish simplicity is of little consequence to me.

[Only one of them was going to end up getting kicked in the gut again.]

[Sleeping dogs, huh? How about little yappy ones?]

Do you really think they care what you want? ...I mean, why should they listen to you?

[Those ones Kazama could especially do without.]

I have no illusions that they will. Humans cannot be expected to behave with consideration towards anyone unwilling to help further their greed.

[His frown deepens irritably.]

I will not lower and debase myself. If it becomes necessary I'll simply make myself heard.

Um, you know they'll just tune you out, right?

[His own has done that to him for months when he complained about things, so it's a feeling he's gotten used to.]

What makes you say that?

[His lips quirk up in a smirk, though the sly amusement doesn't reach his eyes.]

Have they forced you to figure out that simply being loud and insufferable is a poor method of being taken seriously?

[If he could, he'd wipe that smirk right off his face, but since he can't, he'll settle for being miffy.]

Look, pal, just because you slammed my head off the ground a few times doesn't mean you're any better than me. Besides, it's not like I'm the one who had to be bribed to stop stalking someone...

You're speaking nonsense.

[Kazama completely glowers in Heisuke's direction. What in the world was this boy referring to?]

Who do you take me for? There's no honor in bribery.

No, actually I'm pretty sure I'm not. Like completely and totally sure, because I was there.

[As much as it pains him to admit it, Heisuke really doesn't hate the guy. He's annoying, but that's about it.]

Ahhh. so then you're saying you have no honor because you took the bribe.

I’m saying no such thing!

[And he had done no such thing. For all that he rags on the Shinsengumi for being a rabid pack of dogs (and a puppy, in Heisuke’s case), Kazama practically growls in irritation at the response he’s met with.]

If I was met with a fool great enough to offer me a bribe, I’m sure I would remember it.

[It would be extremely amusing, after all. At least before it got annoying, which it surely would before too long. As far as Kazama is aware, as far as he recalls, he’s always been far too arrogant to stoop to such a level.]

...How unfortunate.

[ ew. ]

I must concur.

[As unfortunate as it was to agree with anything these humans had to say.]

Do you not have somewhere to be?

[A kennel, perhaps?]

It would seem not. I assure you I have no interest in going out of my way to occupy my time with yours. [ unlike the others, apparently... ]

[ —AND wow no, vice-commander hasn't gone on vacation so he gets to say out of the kennel for now, gosh. ]

[Kazama sneers. Because why would he actually want to be nice to the people he's going to likely be stuck with in the near future? Such a silly concept.]

Good. [As it should be. At least one of these people had any amount of sense.] My time is too important to waste around you and your kind for any considerable length.

[And we wouldn't want all that barking to disrupt his beauty rest. At least Saitou was generally quiet.]

One would think that someone who has more pressing matters to attend to would surely waste his time less and actually focus on the important matters.

[ Do you feel the judging from all the way over here, Kazama.. because you should. Seriously, if you consider chasing Chizuru around more pressing matters as the head of a demon clan, then Sen sure has some words to have with you, mister!! And maybe a fan to the head. ]

Surely, I have no idea what you're insinuating.

[As always, Kazama ignores her harsh stare, looking down at her from over his nose as if her opinion is of little consequence. Which, to him...it generally is.]

Every matter I attend to is of no less than the highest importance.

Truly? [ Sorry, Kazama, but if there's one person who knows how to deal with you, it's Sen.. which is why she looks completely unfazed by his kind of callous look in return as well. ]

Then it should be rather strange that I have heard rumors of the head of the Kazama clan not taking his duties seriously.

[ Okay, by rumors it's more like Amagiri sighing a lot, but.. does anyone really need a second hand source to determine that Kazama is. Well. Kazama. It's way too obvious just from seeing him. ]

In regards to a somewhat impulsive voicetest

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slams in here late since i can't occupy the ariel tdm forever without apping in...

never too late uvu

<33!!