名取周一 | natori shuuichi (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
paperpusher) wrote2020-09-26 08:40 am
paperpusher) wrote2020-09-26 08:40 am
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no subject
Stepping into the house makes it clearer, now that he can compare the floor by Light's feet to the rest of the room; there's a subtle shadow, a distortion of the air around his hands and feet. He holds up a hand to cut Light off.] Hold on. Let me see if I can guess.
[With that, he strides into the house without waiting for directions from Light, moving even as he says the obligatory] --sorry for intruding. [It's not just lingering around Light; there's a trail, if he squints, and he follows the trail back to wherever it is that Light's keeping the log book.]
In here, right? You've got pretty good instincts, calling me for this.
no subject
It means that there’s a trail to follow to begin with, which in turns means there’s definitely something lingering around the item itself. Promising, but worrisome in its own right; to have brought it back with him was the only real option, but considering what Natori specializes in? An easily-trailed presence doesn’t bode very well, especially not after the nightmares he’s had, the trouble it’s been to fall asleep.
Well. It was a risk he weighed in the moment, and one he’s committed to. Light nods.]
Yes. Honestly, the fact that you can sense it so soon is a little worrying…
[Light crosses the room and fetches the object before returning. All-in-all, it seems like a harmless thing, old and full of organized information.]
Like I said, I found it in the Well. It's a log book, and filled with what you might expect from one. Maintenance notes, dated all the way back to the 70s. You’ll notice that it references Pump One, though I have no idea where the others might be located. The format also changes later in the timeframe, especially in the 90s. [He offers it to Natori, if he wishes to see.]
The names inside, though— I can’t recall them, no matter how hard I try, or how many times I read them. And there’s a place on this island where a similar phenomenon occurs.
no subject
He doesn't take the book when offered, not yet.]
I'm not just sensing it. There's something coming out of the book. [He keeps it matter-of-fact, straightforward-- hoping to project the impression that this isn't deadly, just something that needs to be addressed.] It looks like it's trying to follow you around. I want to try and seal it-- spiritually speaking, it shouldn't impact the book itself-- but first I need you to tell me whatever you can about the place it was kept. [And, after a second of thought,] And about the location where you've experienced this name phenomenon before, if it's different.
[He's going to get started on a familiar routine, just a larger scale: carpeting the floor with blank sheets of paper.]
You can put the book off to the side for now; I don't want it to become too accustomed to your energy. It doesn't look like it's... sticking to you yet, but if you've felt anything unusual since you entered the Well, I should know that too.
no subject
Right. I really shouldn’t be surprised at this point, should I?
[Light places the book down on the coffee table in the center of the room, taking a step back and crossing his arms. For a young man unaccustomed to supernatural entities (insofar as he... recalls), at least he’s forcing a measured calm into his schooled features.
The explanation part of all of this might get a bit questionably hairy.]
Sister’s Helpers, the clinic neighboring Fruit’s Basket. I don’t know if you’ve visited it before, but it’s the best place to gather medical supplies, and there are old doctors’ files that you can find there if you rifle around enough. But if you try to read the names... you can’t. You’ll start to have a headache and pervading vertigo, much like what happens with the names there.
[A motion at the log book, which he supposes is a fine enough transition.]
I told you I found it at the Well, but what I didn’t mention is that I assume the building is off-limits... normally. A little more than a week ago, I snuck in through the front. I was thrown out almost immediately by a— [Here, the pause is prevalent, the image turning over in his head, unpleasant and baleful.] —a figure. Terrible-looking, frightening. But that was the end of that.
[Except it wasn’t.]
I came back a few days ago, and tried sneaking in through the back instead. It’s dark inside, badly-lit but relatively unassuming; filled with machinery for water filtration, storage, and extraction. The space is surprisingly large on the inside, and kept clean. It all appears to run on its own, so I assume it’s automated, which might be why the figure from before was missing this time.
So I went in. I found a desk, well-used, and the log book on top of it. And it has to be a clue of some sort — those names have to mean something, there has to be a reason why we can’t read or remember them, and why it’s not the only instance of it on the island.
[A frown.]
It would’ve been foolish to leave it there, so I tried to take it with me. But then... Then all the lights went out and there were hands grabbing at me from in the dark, pulling me back. I suppose they didn’t like me taking it away. [He scoffs.] I managed to get out through the nearest window, but—
[Light rolls up a sleeve, faces his forearm towards Natori.]
—they left a mark. Maybe more than just physical. I don’t know if it’s due to mild leftover trauma, or something else, but I dream about those hands grasping for me in the dark, now. And sometimes I swear they’re grabbing at my ankles before I try to sleep.
[Disturbing in the moment, even frightening. But in Light‘s waking hours? Bothersome and annoying in its detriment; his pride balks against anything daring to hound him for the sake of punishing his intrepid curiosity.]
I knew it was a risk going in, and there might be consequences. I was right. But we need something like this — a lead, a starting point. I don’t regret it.
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Haha, I'm not about to scold you. It's admirable, being proactive. So long as I can clean up the pieces afterwards, that is.
[He spares a glance at Light's arm-- like fingerprints, a physical mark and not a spiritual one. So it's something strong enough to take a form both visible and tangible to Light, who doesn't seem to have much spirit awareness (anymore). The dreams would make him consider a possible possession even if it wasn't for the visible haze around him. Luckily they'll be able to see if it's dispelled with his seal.
Darkness, water, cleanliness. Hands reaching out for him and gnawing at his ankles. The way the shadowy fog from the book dogs his feet even now. For his spells to have the greatest chance of success, he needs to understand the characteristics of the target and incorporate their weaknesses into his array, so it's once Light's finished with his recitation that Natori begins to draw the circle over the scattered pages, closer to two meters in diameter this time. Light to counter darkness, earth to counter water, wind to counter fog. He fills in symbols on top of the papers methodically, making a more intricate pattern than his first pass with the mug. This is something strong enough to be visible after only a few days, and something actively malicious.
Anyway, then Natori takes the dangerous supernatural book that managed to fall into Light Yagami's possession and drops it dead center in the circle. This time, Natori beckons Light closer, directing him to stand on the edge of the circle directly across from Natori, the book lying in the middle between them.] You don't have to do anything, but it's best if you're touching part of the array. It shouldn't hurt you, but if I tell you to leave, get out.
[And with that, he claps his hands around an ofuda, a second pinched between his pointer and middle fingers of his right hand, and starts his recitation.] Scattered winds come forth, scattered pages bind. You who dwell in the shadows, return unto the earth. I cast down light by your name. Restrain!
[The first time he performed one of these spells, there had been a moment at the end where a light ripple went through each of the pages as the spell washed out from the mug. This time, it's as though a hurricane formed with the book as the eye; the papers whip into a column of air that bats against Natori and Light, and from the sound of things the wind shoves up against whatever furniture is in the room. A door slams somewhere in the house from the pressure change. There's a wall of air strong enough to knock a human backwards; Natori's fighting it, trying to barrel his shoulder closer to the center to reach the book. Slowly, excruciatingly slowly, the log opens, and an unseen force starts flipping through the pages. When it reaches the end, it snaps shut, and Natori lunges to slap the second ofuda down on top of it.
The wind howls one last time as it dissipates, sending the sheets of paper across the room. Natori stays on his hands and knees by the book for a moment, trying to catch his breath.] It's... Got it.
[Give him a second, it was more powerful than he'd expected.]
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But even Light is only human, given to inconvenient autonomous responses like adrenaline spikes and burgeoning panic when assailed by the sudden and unexpected. He had felt a layer of fright wrap itself around him when those shadowy hands did the same; to a lesser degree, he experiences the same now, when the wind becomes something borrowed from an angry storm, pushing long after he’s placed himself in the spot requested by Natori. It brings him down into a crouch, a knee hitting the flooring hard, closing his eyes in a grimace, bracing himself against the force that might topple him over if it lasts only a few seconds more—
Then it stops, and when Light opens his eyes again, the sight of Natori’s hand flattened against the logbook heralds the end(?) of it.]
Are you sure?
[He’s not standing yet, his fingers clenched tight and his expression just as taught. Not to doubt the expert on the subject, but given the chaotic display just now, he got the impression that the malevolent power was just barely tamped down.]
You don’t see anything lingering?
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He turns his head to look at Light for confirmation and runs a hand through his bangs. Fainter, but...] Not on the book. You've still got a bit around you-- it might be from when you were grabbed in the Well. My guess is the book was acting as a conduit, like I mentioned last time-- a direct link between you and the figure you encountered. I'll see what I can do about setting up wards in your house.
[He says this with a sort of resigned exhaustion, looking around the room at the scattered papers.]
...I know of some people here with similar abilities to mine, just based in Christian traditions instead of Shinto. They can probably reinforce it. [It wouldn't be a bad idea for a second seal on the book, at the very least; it will hold for now, but...] Haha, well. If anything, I think you're right about this being something important.
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I’ve already met a priest on my first day here. They made a network post recently, too, so I think your advice is one I’ll follow after we’re done. Thank you, Natori-san.
[But... they’re not done yet. Light approaches the book, looks down at it like a problem needing to be solved, even as he asks—]
By the way, can I touch this now?
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[Natori looks between Light and the book in consideration; it's not concern about anything spiritual-related, he's just trying to decide if he needs to stand up or if he can get away with sitting for a little while longer. It took more energy than he wants to let on.]
Ah, yeah, go ahead. In fact, I'm curious to see if you'll be able to remember the names this time. If it was a spell that was causing it, the seal might lessen the effect.
[It won't, but hey, new deets.]
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Light simply nods.]
That's right. So you're keeping in contact with him? That's good.
[Two, ah, "specialists" connected to each other through necessity proves more convenient for the community in the long run. Case in point: the mess that Light's found himself in.
Regardless, Light bends down to pick up the book, flipping it open to inspect the pages. Nothing appears particularly different, and yet he turns and hands it to Natori.]
I've already asked a lot of you, Natori-san, but I'll request one more favor if you don't mind. I want a second set of eyes on this, one that might can pick up on details otherwise invisible to me. Will you read from it and tell me what you see, feel, or think?
[And yes, if he has better luck in remembering the names.]
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...I see what you mean. It looks like it's not a matter of spiritual awareness, at least... [He takes his glasses off for a second and tries again, with the same strange inability to recall it even when he'd just read the name. Maybe something to do with contact with the pages, some visible confusion? It's definitely worth a try, so he lines his finger up under the name column and prepares to go down the line.] Okay, let's see. First is ----------.
[He can feel his mouth moving, forming syllables, but they're gone as soon as he says them; he can't even try to work backwards from what the name felt like in his mouth. He shakes his head, looking up at Light for the other side of it.] I don't remember what I just said.
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Frustrating, but enlightening in its own way:]
So whatever's making it impossible to remember these names have nothing to do with entity you’ve just sealed inside the book. That makes sense; like I said, the medical files are the same way.
[Light sighs, pushing a hand up to run through his hair.]
Keep going?
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He nods, messing with his bangs again as he turns back to the book.] Stop me if anything changes.
[And he'll do the same, obviously-- though it takes a while for that to come, with name after name that disappears as soon as he says it. It's enough to lull him into a false sense of security, until he manages to hit the 90s. He idly notes the format change while he reads:]
̶͔͇͗̂̀͠ ̷͔́̒̾ ̸͎͚̱̇͘ ̴̢̜̱͎̓̀-̶̧͑̏͊̚-̴̦̮̳̊̒͝-̵̮͙̠̿̇͆̿-̴̖̲͇̓̈́-̵̱͆͗͗-̵͕̻̖̿͂̎͑-̶̜̌̋̓-̸͎̘̤̂̌͝-̶̣̩͐̉-̴̣̲̜̟̏̈͒ ̷͎̬͉̹͌͋͝
[--and winces immediately, instinctively squeezing his eyes shut and looking away from the page.] Did you--?
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But the thought is jarred loose from his head, replaced by a spike of pain lancing through his temples, like a burst of fire, or a lance of hot iron. Light actually winces, cringes, turning his head away as though it’d help. The pain is definitely notable and different, he thinks wryly to himself.]
Feel that? [A hiss of discomfort as it fades away, annoyed.] Yes.
[But why? What’s different about that name, so much that it causes pain to speak it? Light, in all his querying intent, chances it once more for the sake of experimentation—]
Once more, Natori-san.
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He glances up at Light with a resigned, wry smile and shakes his head in an overly put-upon manner.] It's always reckless children... -̵̥͌͝͝-̸̪̈́͘-̴̙̓̌-̶̡͕́-̷͇͚̱͊́͛-̷̨̮͊-̶̧̜̉-̸̞͒-̷̖̭͈͛̊͠-̵̬̟̅-̵̢̎͐̾-̸͉̩́̀̚͜-̵̼̜͍̾͒
[That same mental feedback; he screws his eyes up against it even when he knew it was coming, even when it's not really helping. He looks back at the page, wonders briefly if the same effect will happen if it's not spoken aloud, and-- winces a second time in quick succession.]
--Even when reading in your head... Here. [Head half turned away from the book, he keeps his finger on the incriminating name to hold his place as he tilts the book towards Light.] Give it--
[--a try, is what he was going to say, except as he's blinking his eyes feel a little wet. He moves his hand from the demon name to wipe at them briefly with a knuckle.
It takes him a second to process the blood on his hand, but when he does he immediately pulls the book back, holding it flat against his chest as if he's expecting Light to try to sneak a peek regardless.
Light's ears are probably bleeding a little, it's fine.]
Are you alright?
good lordt
Right.
[He anticipates the meaning behind Natori’s motion, almost meets him halfway before he can finish his statement by reaching out to take the logbook. (Something wet just at his ears.) No doubt he wants him to try it, too, for the sake of consistency, and Light is more than stubborn enough to do it. (Something warm, he thinks.)
But he blinks, alarmed when Natori pulls it back— and vaguely distracted by the sensation at his ears, a hand reaches up to wipe the flat of his palm against them in vague annoyance.]
I’m—
[Fine, he wants to say, except when he pulls his hand back he sees a bright stroke of red, as though someone has swiped paint across his palm. Except it’s blood, bright and fresh. Brow furrowed, frowning deeply, his other hand goes to his other ear, and the result is much the same.]
What is this? [The pain is dull and throbbing, undoubtedly a consequence of the name being recited more than once. Light feels that tinge of frustration again, intermingling with his mind kicking into gear, assessing risk once more.] Injury from a name? How can a book do something like that? This is-
[Agitating.]
I suppose we shouldn't keep trying with that one, specifically.
protip don't let mods catch you plurking about your character's stupid actions
If the name itself was cursed, maybe, but given how the rest of the names in the book act I don't think it's that simple. [The concept of a cursed name is easier for him to accept than the rest of it; he knows Light's struggling with a more generalized realization about how different the rules are from what he's used to, but that's not going to stop him from interpreting it based on his own research.] If I mark the place where this name starts appearing, you're not going to try to come back to it later, are you?
[Light seems like the type, but then again there's little Natori can do to stop him from simply flipping through the pages if he wants to find it again. Bookmarking it would at least give them a warning point to stop at. He holds out one hand towards the closest stray piece of paper on the ground and makes a somewhat impatient gesture; the sheet dutifully flips up into his waiting hand. He tucks it into the pages before the offending entry without looking, his eyes skittering away every time they hit the top edge of the paper in his peripheral vision.]
I don't mind continuing, but... [Can they be sure they won't encounter the name again? After a second of consideration, Natori eyes the glasses in his hands. Leaving them off won't make his eyesight any worse, but he's still worn them enough to know what a pain it is to try to see through cloudy lenses. He rubs the flat of his palm against the glass and puts them on again to assess his work.] ...Mm, it's not perfect, but if I unfocus my eyes I think I can skim the pages for any shapes that stand out from the rest. But if I start seizing, take the book away from me, okay?
[He says it cheerfully, but not as though it's an impossibility.]
god i'm so sorry, i don't know why dw won't send notifs for this thread in particular...cursed
And so, rubbing his palms together to more quickly dry out the blood caked there—]
No, I won’t. Not without a means to read and remember the name.
[Injury notwithstanding. At this point, Light won’t even question the manner of which a paper easily takes role of placeholder.]
And don’t worry. Now that we know the physical effects are more prevalent than expected, I’ll keep an eye out.
[Cheerfully or not, he knows that’s an actual request and not just an airy joke.]
dw wtf, why is my inbox cursed now too
His instinct is to try to strain his eyes to see past the smudges on his glasses, but he fights to do the opposite; instead he focuses on the palm print instead of lingering long enough to take in more than the general shape of the name on the page. It's slower going than he'd like, and he's being overly cautious, so when he does see a change he scans the page several times to confirm before sliding his glasses down to give it a try.
Another piece of paper slips off the floor into his hand so he can box the name in, covering up the top part of the page with the sheet and the rows under the name with his hand. He reads it in his head first to make sure-- Doll, no headache, idly noting the handwriting before it hits him that he's retained that much information.]
Doll. [He looks up at Light, his glasses perched low on his nose, and repeats it as much to prove to himself that he can still remember as anything else.] Doll. And look, the handwriting is-- it's like a child wrote it. The same one that works for the Admin?
fate is against us
Now they’re getting somewhere, though this opens up an array of questions rather than answering them.]
It must be. I don’t know of any others. Why their name is there, though, and why we can recall it when we can’t with the rest...
[Light closes his eyes for a moment, brow gone taut and thinking. This doesn’t reveal much, only that Doll has been a presence in this place for a number of years, which then can be inferred that the Admin might be, too.
Of course, that alone is contingent upon it being the same Doll, which isn’t something they can verify.
Secondly, what was the importance behind their name being visible at all? Were there more? If there’s no point of comparison, then it’s impossible to know. But if there are—]
That’s still the section of the names dated from the 90’s, isn’t it?
[Light opens his eyes again, a look of consternation etched on his features.]
Are there more that we could recognize?
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...No, that was a leap. It could be something as simple as the fact that 'doll' is a word of its own. There's no need to go down a rabbit hole when they don't even know if this is the only name. He knocks his glasses back up with the back of his hand.]
That's right. Let's see-- even to see if it appears again, instead of just being a one-off. [And he continues scanning across the pages, slower now that they have another name to contend with instead of just the one that causes them pain. Doll's handwriting is inconsistent, and he finds himself reading it often; it looks just different enough each time he comes across it that he has to check if it's a new one. But with each of the new... names? New entries, at least-- each time he comes across a new one, he reads it first to himself several times, both to confirm that he's retained it and to protect at least one of them from any more damage than they've already come across.]
Doll's in here multiple times. So are "Sasha," "Clover Zotla," and what looks like just the letter "Z." [He looks up again when he says them, looking for a sign from Light to see if he's able to process them as well.] They're mixed in with what looks like the problem name from earlier, so be careful, but I'm curious if you can see the same thing. [He's got one stretch of them pinned down under his finger for easy identification; this time when he shifts the book towards Light there's no dramatic need to pull it back.] This is the first time I've heard of any of them.
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Yes. I can see them.
[A beat. He doesn’t recognize any of them, but—]
They sound like aliases, don’t they? Not real names. It fits the mould with “Doll”, at least, so it might not be wrong to assume that they all come from the same “group”.
[Mind still churning—]
It might be worth going to the Admin about this, but that in itself is a risk, too.
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I'll leave that to you to decide-- I'm not the one who'd have to explain how I came across the book. [lightly teasing; he meant it when he said he wasn't going to scold Light for breaking and entering, but that doesn't mean it's a good idea to make that clear to the powers that be. If they don't already know.] But if you do learn anything useful... Humor me for a second: I want to give you something.
[He passes the book back to Light to fish a simple paper doll out from his bag; he holds it from the bottom, but the doll stands up in his fingers against gravity.]
This will come find me wherever I am on the island. [He lets go to demonstrate; the doll stays where it is, floating in midair in front of him.] Without spiritual abilities of your own, it will only be able to come back to me, but it can lead me back to where it came from. You can write notes on it, too. [And thus avoid the network; Natori doesn't have to be tech savvy on his own to get a sense of why that might be a good idea.]
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Mm. If they’re not already aware.
[Voicing one of Natori’s thoughts; once again, none of this may be a secret from the powers that be. He'll have to crunch risk assessment in his head again later.
But he sets that aside for now, given the paper doll seemingly come to life in the other man’s hands. Light blinks at it, then holds his own hand out as though to see if it’ll come to him.]
Natori-san… that would be useful in any number of situations. Thank you. Is, ah, using it as simple as deploying it with the intent to find you?
[Talk about snail mail... but fancy.]
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[Like a showoff, he holds his hand out flat in front of him as a landing site. In a flurry like a flock of birds taking off, another group of dolls fly out of the bag and settle neatly onto his palm.] They can locate people for me if I know their face, [and so he can send more back to Light if need be] but that's a little too complex for anyone else to do without training.
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