The Samsara, Port of Fandom, Friday Morning

[okteiviakom]

Octavia had spent most of yesterday out in the woods. And then, although she'd been home on the Rouge for dinner, she'd chosen to sleep over on her own boat, instead. It hadn't saved her from the nightmares - so much blood, and so many people telling her she wasn't worth anything - but it had saved her from unwillingly bleeding any trauma onto Duke, so... Win?

It didn't feel like one.

And now it was morning, and still kind of groggy and exhausted, Octavia had just climbed up onto the deck of her boat, with a bottle of water and whatever snacks she'd had stashed away, for breakfast. She looked up at the sky. All those clouds did not bode well.

Edward and his crew had had the right idea, getting the fuck away from the island.

[ooc: So open! ETA: content warning for (remembered) cannibalism, self-harm and suicidal ideation.]

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[sake_shinigami]

"Mmmm."

It came out as a deep, thoughtful, acknowledging sound, as Shunsui's gaze shifted over to Octavia. Acknowledgement for what he'd seen, felt, but without commentary or judgement until he could determine what he could see, feel, from her right now, in the present.

But he hoped to be quick about it. He could already hear the shamisen starting to play; no doubt Octavia could hear it, too. And he knew what was coming once that started up.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia just looked exhausted, but also kind of resigned. And much less anguished than she had over the previous memory.

Which said something about that one, yes.

She opened her mouth, as if she intended to speak. But words were hard to find, and she could already hear something else...

[sake_shinigami]

Well. That..the exhaustion, the resignation...was about what Shunsui expected, and he was keeping his face incredibly impassive for the way the shamisen, which started out slow and languid, was speeding up to an almost manic pace to reflect the beating of his heart.

Luckily, Katen had a flair for the dramatic, and this was not Shunsui's memory, anyway, although he was very much present in it.

The silhouette of a woman in an elaborate costume, the prongs of her skull headdress and spiral pigtails making for a dramatic profile before the details emerged with the swelling of what she played, furious and angry, incensed, hurt, betrayed. The details cleared. A patch over one eye, a tear slipping out from the other, dressed like a Death's-head hawkmoth in human form. Shunsui laying in front of her, arms tucked behind his head, eyes closed, as if oblivious to the emotion radiating from her and her furiously working fingers.

"I should go," said Shunsui, in the present, pushing himself away a step.

The strings of the shamisen snapped, the music stopped abruptly, and Katen cried out as if struck.

"I'll leave the sake," he said, with an unnecessary nod at the jug.

"I've given you my name!" Katen shouted, and they were standing now, facing each other, and she shivered with rage in response to the serene, almost beautiful, almost pitying look on Shunsui's face, young again, not quite as young, somewhere in between. "But you won't say it! Say it! I am begging you, just say my name!"

"...it doesn't have to be this way...ohana."

"No! Not that name! You're so cruel!"

With an anguished cry, she lept forward, the blades singing as she pulled the out. Shunsui slowly, gracefully, moving of the the way of her strike.

"Bastard!"

But she wasn't deterred, she was fueled by her desperation, and then, finally, she landed a hit, a slash, right underneath his right eye, and a grin split her face as she went to drive her second sword into his side.

But Shunsui caught her wrist. Pulled her arm up. His face had changed, and a tremble of fear and excitement and dread nd eagerness worked through her.

"I'm sorry," said Shunsui, in the dream, in the present, perfectly matched until it split between Octavia-chan and ohana, and he turned to leave the boat.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia wasn't going to stop him. This was... too much, and the urge to just take her boat and leave was getting stronger.

"Yeah," was all she managed to say.