Satou, Tarou (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
knowinginthedark) wrote2022-01-27 12:03 pm
knowinginthedark) wrote2022-01-27 12:03 pm
[Stories that Happened Weeks Ago] [Post]
[Chacu Challhua]
"Why did you do it, Mamoru?"
In the momentary space between events, as the circle activated in response to the connections made by the Geoglyph, the Whale, Chacu Challhua, had to ask it's host partner.
"Did you truly hate me so?"
Tarou-- or Mamoru, as he was actually called-- sat in silence in the mental space, almost ignoring the creature that had been attached to him for so long.
"You'll be rid of me soon enough. Do you wish for everything to end like this? Really?"
"Maybe I didn't. But it's what's happened, isn't it?"
Tarou finally spoke up, raising his head to look up at the abyss of his own mind. "You really had planned on abandoning me yourself, if it had come to it. Don't act like you're a victim, here. Neither of us are victims in the grand scheme of things."
"Perhaps. Perhaps not. You do know... I really do hate being ordered, after all..."
"Yeah, I know. But you can't really ignore this "order" now, can you?
"Mmn, no, I suppose I can't. I can feel your handiwork pulling at the strands of my being as we speak...
You do realize, of course, that you'll likely die soon."
"Oh, I'm aware of this-- acutely so, in fact. Maybe a little part of me is sorta hoping for it? After all, 13 years after I was meant to die, it really feels kinda long overdue, huh?"
Tarou turned his head, gazing behind himself at nothing in particular, Chacu Challhua's presence being around him overall, even with it waning.
"But I don't think I'm actually going to. Things have a way of working out, I feel like."
"Such optimism... But I think without my presence, you will find such optimism difficult to keep hold of..."
Chacu Challhua's voice grew quieter as he spoke, time passing by without ceasing. Tarou had to give a few moments, before speaking again.
"I didn't hate you. You kept me alive this whole time, after all. You gave me the ability to discover wonderful things. Without your help, I'd have gotten myself killed several times over. And without you... I wouldn't be here in this world, where my research can even be accepted without so much skepticism.
But I do think our relationship is impossible to continue, Chacu Challhua. I already know you planned on sacrificing the island, too, at this rate."
Chacu Challhua's quieting voice seemed bemused. "You have such odd soft spots, my dear Mamoru. You'd best be thorough in removing my marks from that place, if you don't wish to wake me back up again."
"Just another job to do to make up for this, that's all, and nothing more."
Eventually, Chacu Challhua's voice slipped away, as did Tarou's consciousness.
--
[Mamoru]
Mamoru-- as in, the LDS employee and not the Dark Signer-- was dealing with an intense headache. Doing what he did, by focusing his psychic abilities to keep the room solid and trapping the Earthbound God there, well... it was an ordeal. Between the monsters summoned, Chacu Challhua's goading, and then the explosion at the end, the fire, the marks--
He felt like his entire body was aching in the aftermath of it, but being able to still move, he was able to get out of the building afterwards in spite of it, so he found no need to head to the hospital or anything like that. He wasn't hurt. And he wasn't in any danger of being attacked.
Labrys had been outside, waiting for him, of course. A smile on her face that was almost gentle, despite her armored, intimidating appearance. He had no recourse but to accept her assistance in getting home at all in any quick manner, with anyone else preoccupied with getting that "alternate" of his to a hospital.
It was still weird to think about. An alternate. A young man with his name, who had the face he used to have...
"After all, I don't think you're really who you think you are. That you're just a spirit that's fooled themselves into thinking they're the human named "Yamada, Mamoru"."
He really believed something like that, didn't he. This person who shared his name... really thought he was some fake that was pretending to be him, instead. All because of what had happened-- all because of that scythe. Because of everything to do with the Barians...
Depressingly, it isn't like he had proof against it, either. He'd always felt off since the events. His entire physical appearance had changed. Some even say that his demeanor did too. Even just looking at his alternate, there's a basic shift in how one approaches situations-- where he'd accepted the depression resulting from his actions, his alternate had been full-out under the thrall of an underworld god of sorts, and still tried to put on a cheery attitude, it seems. He couldn't imagine doing anything like that, anymore, himself.
Not that he didn't remember doing it before. That when things went wrong, he'd put on a smile, maybe focused on something else, anything to disregard the sting.
But these days, it took all of his energy to just not collapse into one spot.
Maybe, just maybe-- it was something he should try to examine more objectively.
Of course, those thoughts vanished soon as he got home, and once saying his thank you and goodbye to Labrys (who had otherwise insisted on staying around to keep watch-- he managed to talk her down to standing guard outside for an hour), he entered into his home.
And proceeded to collapse upon the couch, not even bothering to do the routine of getting ready for bed.
If I am really just the Artifact Scythe-- he tiredly thought to himself, before drifting off to a restless sleep-- I really should've done better than dealing with this tired, human body.
--
[Tarou, Some Weeks Ago]
"You shouldn't be alive right now."
Tarou sat on the bed, almost taken aback at the frankness of the doctor speaking to him.
"You know, that's usually not how medical check-ups start up, in my experience."
"You'd fool me that you've had check-ups before." The doctor had with him a thick file-- he was told to do any tests possible to ensure the health of Tarou before he could begin rehabilitation and then custody release, especially after the three-week coma he had gone through. And by the expression on his face, he wasn't entirely eager to start on either.
"Technically, you're put together. By any lengths, you'll probably live a very long, healthy life." The doctor opened up the file. "However, by how these X-Rays and scans have gone, all signs point to you having been through several injuries that should not only have paralyzed you, but likely been mortal wounds."
He seemed to go down the list of noted injuries. "Fracture lines, shattered pelvis, ribs, arms, feet, spine--"
"Oh, yes, I know that last one." The doctor gave him a bit of a stare for a moment, before Tarou just waved his hand. "Uh, just continue."
"-- signs of skull fractures, signs of stress to the organs, including the heart and lungs, signs of starvation and dehydration previously, signs of previous infections--"
"But you say I'll live a very long, healthy life."
The doctor sighed a bit, closing the file again. "You probably will. It boggles me, but-- all of these things are just that: signs. Signs of things that did probably happen, but seem to not be having any effect on you otherwise. It's like you just simply survived these things, and your body healed itself back up like it was nothing more than a sprain, or a cough."
He did, however, take out one thing from the file. The X-Rays of Tarou's back.
"I am concerned by your spine, however. There's multiple signs of fracture along it-- looks like whatever you did to it that you apparently know about, it healed, but it didn't heal quite right enough to be solid. If you're not careful from now on, you'll likely end up crippled. Alive, sure. Healthy, technically. But stuck to using a cane or a wheelchair, if you even get the chance of being mobile."
He then also gestured to Tarou's left arm. "There's also that weird scarring on your arm. Looked kinda like cuts. Now I'm not gonna jump to conclusions about what it was, but--"
"Oh, you don't need to worry. That was a tattoo. It's been removed, that's all." Tarou rubbed the back of his head. "There's nothing more and nothing less about it, if that's what you're concerned about."
The doctor didn't seem to fully buy it, but he decided to nod and accept it. No helping someone who doesn't want help. "A tattoo, huh? Fine. Probably better you got it removed then, people don't usually take kindly to tattoos in general." The doctor let out a tired sigh, getting up.
"With these things in mind, I'd like you to do physical therapy before I can authorize your release. If the signs get worse, we may need to discuss further medical intervention for your spine. You'd need some time to recover, anyway. You've been prone for three weeks straight."
Tarou couldn't deny how stiff he was after being in a bed that whole time. He wasn't even vaguely aware of anything during those three weeks. It was like he had blinked and suddenly woke up in the hospital, like no time had passed at all. His limbs felt weak though, and it was the most immediate sign of his stillness until that point, along with the sore sensation all over his body.
Yes, physical therapy... was probably the best possible option for now, even though he felt a little like he didn't have time at all. Best to nod and accept, and smile.
"Right, of course, doctor. You'd know best about this."
[Post]
Soooo, good news is, I'm cleared for release-- with supervision, of course, considering the ongoing situation of ensuring that I no longer have any presence of a god inside of me, and all that.
Bad news is, as far as the doctors are concerned, I should've been, at minimum, full-body paralyzed, not to mention the atrophy from the three weeks I was dead to the world anyway, so I'm going to need to go to physical therapy until further notice.
I've also been recommended to a specialist who handles more "unusual" cases-- has anyone ever heard of "Samasu, Souha"? Funny that they share Professor Samasus' name.
Both of them, in fact!
"Why did you do it, Mamoru?"
In the momentary space between events, as the circle activated in response to the connections made by the Geoglyph, the Whale, Chacu Challhua, had to ask it's host partner.
"Did you truly hate me so?"
Tarou-- or Mamoru, as he was actually called-- sat in silence in the mental space, almost ignoring the creature that had been attached to him for so long.
"You'll be rid of me soon enough. Do you wish for everything to end like this? Really?"
"Maybe I didn't. But it's what's happened, isn't it?"
Tarou finally spoke up, raising his head to look up at the abyss of his own mind. "You really had planned on abandoning me yourself, if it had come to it. Don't act like you're a victim, here. Neither of us are victims in the grand scheme of things."
"Perhaps. Perhaps not. You do know... I really do hate being ordered, after all..."
"Yeah, I know. But you can't really ignore this "order" now, can you?
"Mmn, no, I suppose I can't. I can feel your handiwork pulling at the strands of my being as we speak...
You do realize, of course, that you'll likely die soon."
"Oh, I'm aware of this-- acutely so, in fact. Maybe a little part of me is sorta hoping for it? After all, 13 years after I was meant to die, it really feels kinda long overdue, huh?"
Tarou turned his head, gazing behind himself at nothing in particular, Chacu Challhua's presence being around him overall, even with it waning.
"But I don't think I'm actually going to. Things have a way of working out, I feel like."
"Such optimism... But I think without my presence, you will find such optimism difficult to keep hold of..."
Chacu Challhua's voice grew quieter as he spoke, time passing by without ceasing. Tarou had to give a few moments, before speaking again.
"I didn't hate you. You kept me alive this whole time, after all. You gave me the ability to discover wonderful things. Without your help, I'd have gotten myself killed several times over. And without you... I wouldn't be here in this world, where my research can even be accepted without so much skepticism.
But I do think our relationship is impossible to continue, Chacu Challhua. I already know you planned on sacrificing the island, too, at this rate."
Chacu Challhua's quieting voice seemed bemused. "You have such odd soft spots, my dear Mamoru. You'd best be thorough in removing my marks from that place, if you don't wish to wake me back up again."
"Just another job to do to make up for this, that's all, and nothing more."
Eventually, Chacu Challhua's voice slipped away, as did Tarou's consciousness.
--
[Mamoru]
Mamoru-- as in, the LDS employee and not the Dark Signer-- was dealing with an intense headache. Doing what he did, by focusing his psychic abilities to keep the room solid and trapping the Earthbound God there, well... it was an ordeal. Between the monsters summoned, Chacu Challhua's goading, and then the explosion at the end, the fire, the marks--
He felt like his entire body was aching in the aftermath of it, but being able to still move, he was able to get out of the building afterwards in spite of it, so he found no need to head to the hospital or anything like that. He wasn't hurt. And he wasn't in any danger of being attacked.
Labrys had been outside, waiting for him, of course. A smile on her face that was almost gentle, despite her armored, intimidating appearance. He had no recourse but to accept her assistance in getting home at all in any quick manner, with anyone else preoccupied with getting that "alternate" of his to a hospital.
It was still weird to think about. An alternate. A young man with his name, who had the face he used to have...
"After all, I don't think you're really who you think you are. That you're just a spirit that's fooled themselves into thinking they're the human named "Yamada, Mamoru"."
He really believed something like that, didn't he. This person who shared his name... really thought he was some fake that was pretending to be him, instead. All because of what had happened-- all because of that scythe. Because of everything to do with the Barians...
Depressingly, it isn't like he had proof against it, either. He'd always felt off since the events. His entire physical appearance had changed. Some even say that his demeanor did too. Even just looking at his alternate, there's a basic shift in how one approaches situations-- where he'd accepted the depression resulting from his actions, his alternate had been full-out under the thrall of an underworld god of sorts, and still tried to put on a cheery attitude, it seems. He couldn't imagine doing anything like that, anymore, himself.
Not that he didn't remember doing it before. That when things went wrong, he'd put on a smile, maybe focused on something else, anything to disregard the sting.
But these days, it took all of his energy to just not collapse into one spot.
Maybe, just maybe-- it was something he should try to examine more objectively.
Of course, those thoughts vanished soon as he got home, and once saying his thank you and goodbye to Labrys (who had otherwise insisted on staying around to keep watch-- he managed to talk her down to standing guard outside for an hour), he entered into his home.
And proceeded to collapse upon the couch, not even bothering to do the routine of getting ready for bed.
If I am really just the Artifact Scythe-- he tiredly thought to himself, before drifting off to a restless sleep-- I really should've done better than dealing with this tired, human body.
--
[Tarou, Some Weeks Ago]
"You shouldn't be alive right now."
Tarou sat on the bed, almost taken aback at the frankness of the doctor speaking to him.
"You know, that's usually not how medical check-ups start up, in my experience."
"You'd fool me that you've had check-ups before." The doctor had with him a thick file-- he was told to do any tests possible to ensure the health of Tarou before he could begin rehabilitation and then custody release, especially after the three-week coma he had gone through. And by the expression on his face, he wasn't entirely eager to start on either.
"Technically, you're put together. By any lengths, you'll probably live a very long, healthy life." The doctor opened up the file. "However, by how these X-Rays and scans have gone, all signs point to you having been through several injuries that should not only have paralyzed you, but likely been mortal wounds."
He seemed to go down the list of noted injuries. "Fracture lines, shattered pelvis, ribs, arms, feet, spine--"
"Oh, yes, I know that last one." The doctor gave him a bit of a stare for a moment, before Tarou just waved his hand. "Uh, just continue."
"-- signs of skull fractures, signs of stress to the organs, including the heart and lungs, signs of starvation and dehydration previously, signs of previous infections--"
"But you say I'll live a very long, healthy life."
The doctor sighed a bit, closing the file again. "You probably will. It boggles me, but-- all of these things are just that: signs. Signs of things that did probably happen, but seem to not be having any effect on you otherwise. It's like you just simply survived these things, and your body healed itself back up like it was nothing more than a sprain, or a cough."
He did, however, take out one thing from the file. The X-Rays of Tarou's back.
"I am concerned by your spine, however. There's multiple signs of fracture along it-- looks like whatever you did to it that you apparently know about, it healed, but it didn't heal quite right enough to be solid. If you're not careful from now on, you'll likely end up crippled. Alive, sure. Healthy, technically. But stuck to using a cane or a wheelchair, if you even get the chance of being mobile."
He then also gestured to Tarou's left arm. "There's also that weird scarring on your arm. Looked kinda like cuts. Now I'm not gonna jump to conclusions about what it was, but--"
"Oh, you don't need to worry. That was a tattoo. It's been removed, that's all." Tarou rubbed the back of his head. "There's nothing more and nothing less about it, if that's what you're concerned about."
The doctor didn't seem to fully buy it, but he decided to nod and accept it. No helping someone who doesn't want help. "A tattoo, huh? Fine. Probably better you got it removed then, people don't usually take kindly to tattoos in general." The doctor let out a tired sigh, getting up.
"With these things in mind, I'd like you to do physical therapy before I can authorize your release. If the signs get worse, we may need to discuss further medical intervention for your spine. You'd need some time to recover, anyway. You've been prone for three weeks straight."
Tarou couldn't deny how stiff he was after being in a bed that whole time. He wasn't even vaguely aware of anything during those three weeks. It was like he had blinked and suddenly woke up in the hospital, like no time had passed at all. His limbs felt weak though, and it was the most immediate sign of his stillness until that point, along with the sore sensation all over his body.
Yes, physical therapy... was probably the best possible option for now, even though he felt a little like he didn't have time at all. Best to nod and accept, and smile.
"Right, of course, doctor. You'd know best about this."
[Post]
Soooo, good news is, I'm cleared for release-- with supervision, of course, considering the ongoing situation of ensuring that I no longer have any presence of a god inside of me, and all that.
Bad news is, as far as the doctors are concerned, I should've been, at minimum, full-body paralyzed, not to mention the atrophy from the three weeks I was dead to the world anyway, so I'm going to need to go to physical therapy until further notice.
I've also been recommended to a specialist who handles more "unusual" cases-- has anyone ever heard of "Samasu, Souha"? Funny that they share Professor Samasus' name.
Both of them, in fact!