video; un: taka

[retsuden]

[ While he's trying his best to keep up his usual even, monotone façade, anyone who pays attention to detail will notice that Sasuke's looking a little more on edge. Maybe disoriented, even.

He clears his throat slightly before speaking. ]

For those who have been learning taijutsu, ninjutsu, and genjutsu, I may need to put lessons on hold temporarily. I've been having... memory lapses and apologize to those who may have come to the dojo and waited for nothing.

I will pick up lessons and take on any interested new students once I feel more like myself.

[ He frowns, his hand reaching up to rub at his temple, the way one does when they're getting a headache behind their eyes. ]

Unrelated: if I'm understanding the timeline correctly, those of us who have been here the longest would be coming up around a year in this place. Given the influences of the moons and seasons leaving the possibility for repetition, what sort of things were happening this time last year? What should those of us who arrived after be prepared for?

Comments

[retsuden]

[ At least he's getting used to the fact that nothing that comes out of Lance's mouth every makes 100% sense to him. ]

A notebook should do.

[ Like the one he's obviously jotting some things down in while Lance tells him about things that happened. He pauses as he remembers the fight with Reaper on the network. So that was probably a year ago, huh? Fab. ]

What's a gladiator? And what do you mean lonely?

[azurestar]

[He points a finger gun on a limp wrist at the camera as he makes what he thinks is a solid point:]

But what if you forget about the notebook.

[Then he hums in thought over those questions. He needs another sip (more like gulp) before delving into more memories.]

A gladiator's someone who fights in an arena for, like, entertainment and stuff. [He makes a handwavey motion.] And lonely like… you'd get consumed by it and turn into a creepy horror movie crawling person and kinda… suffocate the people you care about.

[retsuden]

... I could inform Sakura of its existence and she could give it to me.

[ That makes him quiet for a moment. It leaves a bitter taste in his mouth. Both the definition and the idea of the loneliness. ]

I'll... hope that repetitions stay to a minimum.

[azurestar]

…Whaaaaat if you forget Sakura and that you trust her?

[WHAT THEN?]

If you ask me, the only good thing about knowing what might be coming is maybe getting a chance to lock yourself up somewhere or whatever you think you gotta do to prevent it. But in my experience you usually can't. And while you're doing that, you're probably not looking in the right direction to catch what's new… buut, I guess you've got an advantage with your super eyes.

[retsuden]

Sakura is stubborn enough to keep telling me until I believe her.

My Rinnegan only lets me see a few moments into the future. But sometimes it's enough. So long as I don't forget how to use it. Still, I won't lock myself away afraid of a possibility.

[azurestar]

Man… you really lucked out with a woman like that.

[He makes a mental note to check in on Sakura more because it seems to him it take one hell of a lady to wrangle and pursue this guy. He sobers a bit and then switches to private.]

I used to say that too. The whole 'won't lock myself away outta fear' thing is brave and cool right up until you're the one who goes bump in the night. Buuut at the same time, hiding away from everyone you care about can totally make it worse too… it's a fine line, just try to walk it carefully.

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[retsuden]

I did.

[ That is probably the most sincere Sasuke's voice has ever sounded in any conversation ever. ]

I'm not trying to look brave or cool. I've been the monster people run from before. Pushing people away or hiding from them only made the acceleration towards it worse, as you said, and I promised myself I wouldn't make that mistake again.

[azurestar]

[He hears that sincerity and respectfully ignores it, knowing that feeling and how much he dislikes being poked fun for it.]

…Sounds like you know how to walk the line, then. [He knew those things about Sasuke, not in great detail, but…] Buuut when you say you've been a 'monster' do you mean like literally? In the Trench kinda way, or…

[retsuden]

Mmm... Not quite identical, but yes.

[azurestar]

…Huh, really? So, what'd that look like?

[retsuden]

There was a black mark on my shoulder that would spread over my body. Eventually once it covered everywhere, my skin would turn a deep gray and my hair turned blue, and I would sprout bat-like wings from my back. There was a mark that spread across my face and my eyes turned... a strange color. I don't remember what. Anytime I was injured, if it took off a limb, it would heal itself by replacing that limb with a snake. It wouldn't be missing anymore when the curse retreated and I turned back to normal. I learned to control it eventually, but at first it happened whenever my emotions got the best of me.

[azurestar]

[He blinks as he absorbs that whole mental image.]

…Man, talk about a bad rash. [Eh? Eh? …Ahem.] So how'd you end up with a mark that did all that?

…

Do you still have it?

[retsuden]

It was forced on me by a man who later became my sensei.

And no. I do not.

[azurestar]

Dude, that's totally messed up. What the fuck? Why'd you become his student after he did that?

[He is very disturbed, it sounds stalker-y and he's had weird stalker-y crap with Reaper, so. Skin is crawling.]

[retsuden]

It's complicated.

[ Or he's just ashamed of it. You know, toss up. ]

[azurestar]

…Alright.

[A shrug. Because he understands that.]