[ ♠ ] Bleeding Out « #killjoy »

[Aᴛᴏᴍɪᴄ.]

⚖ Ｊａｙｃｅ
[age: twenty-four // nname: blue, jay] - [location: gosaishoyama; fukushima] - [element: metal]
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Watching Daichi against the tree had been like watching an interesting documentary of a lion in a foreign habitat. He seemed a little lost, and that notion was confusing. Jayce would have thought that explaining a memory to the other would have some different effect. Daichi had simply tilted his head to the side, and Jayce wasn't entirely convinced that the other was even privy to his own memories. In the end, Jay simply forced himself to detach himself from the idea that Daichi was a mess inside that head of his. It wasn't Atkins' place to go meddling where he ought not to meddle. When they moved again, he'd pulled out the cigarettes and was remaining uncharacteristically quiet -- which, by the way, was killing him to do so. Again, he was reminded that Daichi didn't like guns, and the sharpshooter responded with a small smile. He couldn't help if not everybody else in the world loved guns. As far as he was concerned, they could keep their undeserving mitts off them. Everybody hated guns until they'd have a need for them. And while that may be less than true in Daichi's place, for he could control fire, he knew quite a few people that would have killed to have a gun in their hands moments before they were killed. But Jayce didn't love them for the protection they offered. He just did. It was just as hard to offer up reasons of why he loved pistols as it would be if you were speaking in terms of people. "Why do you love me?" Jayce had found it hard to answer with anything other than, I just do.

Jay placed the cigarette in his mouth and cupped the lighter over the end. Only a few seconds after, he was aware of the fact that Daichi had asked for one. Who was he to deny a man a smoke? Atkins grinned and pulled out a cig, passing it and the lighter over to the other. He was still rolling the memory over in his head, getting a deeper idea of what Daichi's father looked like. It was unusual for people to be blurred as much as he had, but it was all part of the perks of his powers. People that your victims were on good terms with were usually vivid replicas of themselves. But in Daichi's case, his father had been anything but vivid. Jayce delved into people's minds, not only for their memories, but their emotions and feelings as well. It all went to shaping up the perfect identity theft. You are nothing without the muscles, organs, and skeleton beneath the skin. Your identity is nothing without the experiences beneath the skin. The sharpshooter busied himself with quietly watching the smoke curl out from his lips. He was rather afraid that if he ended up in a conversation with the other, his damned curiosity would only worsen. He was on a job, and Daichi was the payoff. Nothing more... and nothing less. His brows remained furrowed in a thoughtful manner, and he'd taken to kicking a rock along the way to keep his mind occupied. Oh, the things he would do for a distraction. The smoke was good, though. He'd needed one after being shaken like he had.

The only time he properly acknowledged Daichi again was when the other pointed out the meeting spot. Jayce could make out two motorbikes and two figures leaning against a wall. That was them, alright. He took the spent cigarette away from his lips and tossed it aside, making sure to stomp it out as he did so. Yes, it was littering. But he wasn't about to go carrying it around with him everywhere. Jay turned an easy gaze over to the man beside him, expression turning cautious. "Yes. They know who you are. Now listen here Akino," he voiced, low and pointedly, "You cause problems and that metal you're carrying is mine, got it? And yeah yeah," he rolled his eyes and waved a dismissive hand, "Angry face and angry pouting. 'I could kill you in one wave of my hand' Blah blah blah. Good stuff! But I'm not easy to kill, and I'm reckoning you're not either. So let's not waste our efforts trying, yeah? Just stand there and look pretty." With those stern words said, Jayce went back to treating Daichi like business. Well, those words had been strictly business so perhaps he'd never strayed away from it. Oh man, this was hard. Do you know how much Jayce wanted to continue on about the man's father? So much. He wanted to continue so much. Unfortunately, he'd walked too fast and now he stood in front of Craig and Dalton.

"You two look fashionably late," one of the men said, his own cigarette clasped loosely between fingers. Dalton was a short man, who couldn't even compensate his shortness with muscle. But he had a nasty bark which made up for everything else even if you wouldn't expect it. His best mate, on the other hand, stood with a stocky build -- as if he'd just stumbled out of a 24 hour gym. Jayce dipped his head to the men, rubbing the back of his neck out as if there was some sort of knot. Both of them were watching Daichi with cautious eyes, for they knew exactly who was going to be sharing the trip back with them. Nobody on that boat was capable of handling the captive like Jayce was, and you wouldn't need a combat expert to inform you of this. "So this is him? Daichi Akino?" Craig asked, his eyes darting over the Japanese male, "You shot him? You weren't supposed to shoot him. Why do you always shoot everything, Atkins?" The tallest man present chuckled, his shoulders rolling with the action as he regarded the other's wounded shoulder. He could only imagine that Akino was seething under the attention of these American strangers. But he was banking on the hopes that his new friend -- sarcasm -- wouldn't try anything rash. Otherwise, he'd see just how quickly a man like Atkins could draw up a pistol and put a bullet into a heart.

He was supposed to take Daichi alive. However, even Townsend knew that if there was any need -- Jayce would bow to no man when it came to taking a life to save others. William wouldn't be pleased, God no. But he also couldn't do much in terms of punishment. "Would you ask an alcoholic why he drinks all of the liquor?" Jayce responded, a certain brightness to his eyes. The man only scoffed and gestured for Dalton to get on the motorbike, "Fair enough. We'll be taking this one back. Take care that the cargo doesn't lash out during your delivery, yeah?" And just like that, the roar of the motorbike ripped into the evening air, shedding exhaust as a side effect. Then, the others were off and away, leaving Jayce in Akino's company once again. Jayce stood there, watching his contract as the air of socialization left him once again. It was unbearably quiet, something Jayce was actually fine with. The only reason he disliked silence was the way it allowed you to fall into your own head. And as that was the last place he liked to be, he spoke again while settling atop the remaining bike, "Alright, you can either get on with me or I can drag you behind from a chain. I'd opt for the first, even though my chains are quite fantastic to witness."

[important]

⚔ ── ＤＡＩＣＨＩ　ＡＫＩＮＯ
xxxxxxxxxxelement: fire • age: twenty-five • location: nakane no yu; fukushima
He didn't need a lighter. Had done it several times before without one, though the first time he'd lit a cigarette using strictly his own powers, he'd burnt the entire thing, unable to control the large burst of flame that quickly swallowed the thing. That was something else that came with his power -- it gave him an immunity to it. Flame, fire -- it didn't burn him. Still felt the heat of it as it had rushed against his face that day, but nothing else outside of a burnt cigarette and disappointment had followed. But now? Now, his skills had been honed down to where he could control the small click of energy to perfection, lighting the cigarette easily. Could have hissed at the burn that tore down his throat, not unlike taking hard liquor for the first time. It'd been years, but he didn't dare let that show. You have your shovel. Now dig, and bury.

Daichi ran a hand over the black shirt he'd had underneath the jacket, a shuddering running over him at the breeze that hit him. Really, really wished that he had remembered to get his jacket from the bunker. But the second Jayce started talking warnings, rules, dos, and don'ts, Daichi rolled his eyes. Lifted a hand, but it dropped soon thereafter, Daichi pulling a scowl, baring his teeth. "That is your job, looking pretty." Jayce could take that however he'd like to, but Daichi knew better than to cause any issues with him or his men. His eyes rested on the two men in front of the hotel, his chin snapping up immediately. Jayce was back to being distant, as if Daichi was nothing more than a leashed animal. And maybe he was, without a trace of humanity left in him. But the least he could do was treat him as if he held some sort of conscience in him.

Two men. Daichi snapped his gaze to the first one, immediately looking the man over -- cataloguing everything. Potential weapons -- the soft form of a gun in the first man's pocket. His short stature, one that Daichi still stood under, but one that he could easily over-power. Eyes slid over to the second man, who was both a lot taller and better-built than the first. In a physical match, Daichi was beat. But if Daichi was allowed weapons? Oh, both men would die -- powers not accounted for. Taking those into account, though? They wouldn’t stand a chance, no. The way the second man spoke his name caused Daichi to draw his lips back, baring his teeth at him and narrowing his eyes. Didn’t dare speak or show either of these men that he understood another word of what they said -- best to keep them in the blissful ignorance that he didn’t know their English. He rolled his shoulder shortly after they asked after it, but didn’t touch it or acknowledge it otherwise. Don’t exhibit weakness. Not in front of these men, and not ever. He was ready to snap all three of their necks -- but especially Jayce’s, and when Jayce looked over to him, he shot the man a glare. But his hands were not concealed, out, pressed flat against the sides of his thighs. Ready to snap up and grab a dagger from his collection, ready to flick it out and lodge a blade into the shorter of the two new men’s necks. Ready to draw his sword, ready to fight, ready to kill. But, no. Not with the look that Atkins gave him, Daichi immediately relenting and turning his harsh gaze back to the two other Americans.

They spoke of him as if he were nothing more than just another package, an animal with no soul. Cargo, they called him. That split rage, red blooming and bursting behind his eyes, fingers twitching dangerously. But the two men were off before Daichi had even the chance to pull a blade, to spill blood, to end lives. And a whine was drawn out from his torn throat, watching the two go off, letting the knife that he’d grabbed far too late hit the pavement with a clatter. Didn’t turn back to face Jayce until the plume of smoke from the motorbike took off over the hill, his gaze hardened, unrelenting, just as before. "I would hate to say all Americans are the same," he bit at him, stooping down to pick up his dropped blade, carefully returning it home with a murmured word of appreciation and goodwill to the thing before tucking it away from the world. "But it truly seems to me that all Americans are the same, Mister Atkins." He shoved the heel of his hand against his shoulder, sliding his gaze back up to the taller male, exhaling loudly through his nose.

Presented with two options, Daichi’s first move would typically be to deny both and create a third. But here, it seemed like his only third option would be him running alongside the damn thing, and the gods knew that he couldn’t do that. Akino pressed his hand against his face, assessing the two options carefully before scowling, pulling the corners of his lips down. "I am not," he began, taking place behind Jayce, growling low under his breath as he swept his feet up, unable to reach the footrests. Whatever. He braced one arm underneath him on the small amount of space of the seat exposed between them, the other holding Jayce’s shoulder. Wasn’t thrilled about the set-up and position, but it seemed like he wasn’t exactly in the position to complain.

[Aᴛᴏᴍɪᴄ.]

⚖ Ｊａｙｃｅ
[age: twenty-four // nname: blue, jay] - [location: nakane no yu; fukushima] - [element: metal]
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Where Jayce had smirked when Daichi called him 'pretty' in turn, he looked back and didn't respond to Daichi's comment on Americans. If that's what the man wanted to believe, then who was Atkins to stop him? He could only smile and laugh sadly, nodding his head from side to side. He wasn't to go on a spiel of how different he was from the rest of them. However, he wasn't the only different one out there. The world back home was full of people much different than those who worked for Townsend. It was a right shame that Akino was only seeing the worst of what his country had to offer. However, there was a certain darkness that he couldn't ignore back home. Plenty of broken homes and children who had been failed as children. A society of never-do-wells. He'd done his best to lighten the load for many of his friends in high school at the cost of his own energy. He often ran himself into the ground giving himself to others. Now look at him. He kept his eyes forward, and while there was still a smile on his face, it was different than the one he used to wear. Like muscle memory, Jayce smiled. He didn't have many people to smile for these days. He knew that if he did, they would be endangered. If the world knew about all the people he'd killed, he would be facing his own death in prison no matter what he'd done in the military. How ironic that Jayce had been honorably discharged. He could have scoffed right then and there, but he was too busy rolling his eyes at the man behind him.

Before he started, he opened his mouth, brows furrowed. Then he closed it again. After two seconds, he decided not to say what he'd wanted to and went for something else, turning his head to look behind him, "Please don't fall off Mister Akino. I would hate to scrape a gentleman off the street tonight. And mind that shoulder of yours, yeah?" Then he was back to staring straight ahead, revving the motorbike and tearing off from it's parked position. One hand reached back into his pocket to pull out his phone so he could get to a place he recognized. If he could make out a landmark, he'd be able to rely on his photographic memory from there. A quick glance at his phone did show him the route he would have to take, and he memorized it in terms of 'lefts' and 'rights'. However, he was also mindful of the fellow seated behind him, making sure to keep his turns easy to handle as the shoulder was probably proving to be quite the little biter. Daichi did a good job trying to hide the way it was effecting him. He had to assume that it was because the man was a soldier boy. They were made of tougher stuff than most people, and if Jayce could respect anything, it would be that. He had to wonder if the other had willingly joined up with the military. It felt like that might not have been the case at times.

Eventually, he decided to speed up a bit so he could get the man back in order to properly take care of the shoulder. He just... he wanted to be done with this job. Jayce was already exhausted, though he would never show it. Were you sick if you thought it was easier to just take a life and call it quits, than deliver a beating heart? Perhaps it was the idea that the beating heart in question would be better off dead. Jayce didn't ask what happened to the power holders that Townsend Industries was holding captive. He assumed they were being trafficked and sold as weapons. Oh, how wrong he was. Distracted, Jayce tore around a corner only to be surprised by a sudden red light. He forced the breaks and was sent lurching forwards a bit, which was uncomfortable on a bike if you could imagine. It was also not at all graceful, but he made up for it with a gruff apology as Jayce waited for his turn to go. yes. Definitely not on the top of his game right now, and that little slip up might have shown this. If anything, it showed he was just a bad driver who knew little about the streets here. After all the new streets, Atkins finally spilled into familiar territory and all he had to do was retrace his steps. he couldn't be certain for sure how long they'd been on the move. When the ship came into view, the sun had officially set and the beginnings of stars had begun to reflect upon the ocean.

Hang in there, Target, was his first thought when he drove the last mile or so along the coast. When he finally did stop the motorcycle, the quiet was welcome after the roar of the bike. Jayce wasn't necessarily a motorcycle man. He preferred his Jeep over any other mode of transportation. However, he didn't mind the occasional ride in a private yacht. He stayed sitting on the motorbike for a little while longer, just making sure he wouldn't fall over or something if he stood up. Not that he would. Jayce could practically lean against nothing and stay standing. When the mercenary did step off of the bike, he immediately checked out his current contract. It was as if he was worried the moron would just up and pass out without any warning. You'd think that Jayce actually cared about the well being of the grumpy male. Well.... you'd be wrong. "How are you managing?" he sighed, figuring that he would have to gauge the other's health somehow. He still didn't touch the man, no matter the fact that he had been very conscious of the other's presence the whole ride back. One slip up of skin contact and Daichi could have blacked Jayce out a second time. Oh, the very simple advantage the other had with just his fingertips. There were quite a few reasons Jayce loved ranged combat. "That's our ship. They'll be coming with a smaller boat to take us out to it. Once we're on, allow me to sew up that shoulder. It's the least I can do after my infatuation with things that go boom."

[important]

⚔ ── ＤＡＩＣＨＩ　ＡＫＩＮＯ
xxxxxxxxxxelement: fire • age: twenty-five • location: nakane no yu; fukushima
Daichi couldn't help the glare that she promptly shot to Jayce at his warning before they'd left, keeping a tight hold on Jayce's shoulder. Otherwise he kept him to himself, head tilted down and eyes closed. Focused on nothing, not the roads, not the scenery, and not the man that he was relying on for stability, transportation, and help. When Jayce was forced to squeeze the brakes, Daichi's other hand flew up to rest on Jayce's side -- though his hand was a fist pressed against the side of the man's ribcage. Didn't press hard enough, and definitely made sure to keep it light. It was with intent to hold on -- not to hurt him. Daichi couldn't hurt him, not here, at least. Not when he relied on him for so much right now. His life was on the line -- and getting Jayce to the coast right now was a matter of life or death for Daichi. The constant throb, stab, and shot of pain reminded him of that. And even though that bullet was gone, he could still feel the heat that had torn his flesh apart upon impact, rippling over his nerves and causing his skin to tighten, pull, and twitch. Daichi knew full well of the mortality that he held -- and just how much of a toll that wound of his was taking on it. Daichi kept his head down, pressed gently between Jayce's shoulder blades. Nearly slumped, but he held just enough strength and dignity to keep himself upright, despite having to rely on Jayce for a majority of that.

Daichi hardly registered it when the motorcycle finally pulled in to a stop, his grip loosening off of Atkins when the sound cut off, interrupting that gentle buzz that filled his mind. He was used to it, the drone of the engine. Hated the silence that took after you cut it. He rocked back a bit when Jayce stood up, Daichi sliding forward and pushing his foot down on the ground to keep the motorbike upright. Paused, tapping his fingers across the handlebars. But -- Jayce, he had the key. So Daichi pushed the idea out of his head, removing himself from the bike. That shock of nerves ran through his system, Daichi's mouth falling open at Jayce's question, though he said nothing. Daichi pushed his hands down, running them over the length of his hip before his knuckles bumped against the belt of knives, unfocused eyes flicking up to look in the direction of Jayce's voice. A boat. He nodded slowly, fingers curling just above his set of blades. "You don't have to. It's fine," he finally told him, blinking several times and holding a hand up to his face -- not the one that rested over his blades. That was his dominant (though hurt). He carefully touched his own cheek. Jayce looked exhausted. He may have worn a smile, but it was evident in the man's voice, words, and the way he carried himself that he was done for the day.

It took concentration, isolating emotions. Well, normally, at least. When a person's prominent and most used emotion was the one that Daichi was targeting -- that made his job hells easier. And it seemed that this Jayce guy was nothing but a bundle of smiles, sunshine, and that dark corner of skeletons in the closet that Daichi didn't dare touch or open. He narrowed in on that burst of yellow, singling the emotion and tapping into it. Pressed it, implemented it -- hoping to at least return that earlier emotion onto Jayce that he'd seen earlier. Not that he cared -- he just wasn't used to seeing Jayce like this. Well, all in the total hours that he'd known the man, at least. And from the ease of access to the emotion, it seemed like Jayce was better versed in terms of smiling over scowling. Exhaustion didn't look pretty on anyone's face, no -- but it seemed to look even worse on faces where it should never belong. Daichi's fingers spread out as he carefully drew that emotion forward in Jayce's mind, making it prominent -- and hopefully enough to overpower Jayce's sighs.

[Aᴛᴏᴍɪᴄ.]

⚖ Ｊａｙｃｅ
[age: twenty-four // nname: blue, jay] - [location: nakane no yu; fukushima] - [element: metal]
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Now, Jayce could easily say that he was worried. He hadn't expected the state of his fellow temporary companion to be so decayed. But the longer Daichi sat on the motorbike, the longer Jayce was able to pick him apart. Obviously, he wouldn't be getting an honest answer by asking how the bloke was doing. I could.....no His twitching fingers stopped and he cursed under his breath. He couldn't have Daichi die on him. That was it. That was the only reason he could allow himself to worry. And wasn't it a viable enough reason? Should there even be another? No. There shouldn't be. "You can say you're fine, just like a polar bear can say that the heat doesn't bother it. But it would be a shame for the polar bear to overheat and die, now, wouldn't it?" He didn't know where his newfound burst of energy came from, but he must have decided at some point that he didn't feel like giving into his exhaustion just yet. Why had he felt like giving in, in the first place? He was Jayce Atkins. The day you saw a weakness in him would be the day hell freezes over. With a grin that rivaled even the cheshire cat's, he didn't ask as he looped his arm around Daichi's waist to force support upon the man.

"Please don't put up a fight," he begged, his head falling to the side so he could look at the other whilst they walked, "You are definitely not fine, and don't argue with me. I know these things. I'm somewhat of a genius." Jayce was only half joking. He was incredibly smart, yes. But that intelligence wouldn't tell him the state that his contract was in. His mind slowly went back to his previous idea, fingers twitching at the thought of it. Before he did anything, he stopped Daichi and spent a solid two minutes looking at the man with no words to fill that silence. In the end, the temptation was too much, and he smiled innocently before placing his fingers against Akino's neck as he'd done earlier. This time, he forced himself to keep his eyes open -- a method that could help him not get so easily lost in the other man. Over the years, he had grasped a little control over his power. He went in for the sole purpose of gathering a current status report. There was plenty of useless information that came along with the touch, but Jayce was focusing on the bad stuff. He usually focused on the bad stuff irregardless of what he was doing. In the end, he was left with the sinking realization that the wound in Daichi's shoulder was at a very high risk of getting infected. Well, he obviously couldn't have that. Jayce could have brought his fingers away from Daichi's neck a while ago, but he didn't. Shiro and Daires' laughter flooded his senses. And to mix with that, there was a sense of emptiness that Jay couldn't ignore.

And while he finally did steal his hand away, he kept his smile thoughtful. They'd reached the little pier by now and it seemed that one of the guys from earlier, Jayce couldn't tell which- wait, no, it was Dalton- was coming over in a boat. It was of a decent size, large enough to fit a couple motorcycles at the very least. But he couldn't be bothered by watching Dalton loom ever-closer. He'd rather watch his contract. Risky desire, that was, but he was starting to not care. He'd attached to things before only to rip himself away. This man would be no different. "If I were to ask you anything specific about that birthday memory," his voice was quiet as the man was less than a foot away from him, "Would you be able to tell me? I ask this because I have a feeling that you can't remember, yourself. Is that why you wanted me to look inside you?" His question was well justified, he would like to think. Jayce rarely asked stupid question. Alright. That was a lie. He asked plenty of stupid questions, but it only added to his charm that he do so. Right now, he wanted to know his contract in the small amount of time alotted. No matter the consequences, Jayce took what he wanted, and you'd have to be the devil himself to get him to change his mind. That is to say, if the devil himself was not Jayce to begin with. Probably not. He doubted that any demon would be so in love with the human race as Atkins found himself to be. "And I'm afraid you're going to have to just put up with me. I want you alive. That shoulder is making it clear that it needs you dead."

[important]

⚔ ── ＤＡＩＣＨＩ　ＡＫＩＮＯ
xxxxxxxxxxelement: fire • age: twenty-five • location: iwaki; fukushima
Daichi had never been the type to fight to keep himself alive. He got shot -- so be it. He wouldn’t spend hours trying to clean the wound, dig the bullet out, and save himself, no. He left it there, maybe taking soap and water to it during his showers, but that was about the most attention he ever gave himself -- because he didn’t need anything else. So for Jayce to be as concerned as he was? It made Daichi frown, furrow his brows, and try to pull back. But it was too late, Jayce’s arm around him and supporting him, Daichi given no other real option other than to rely on the help. Hated it, hated it to no absolute end, but eventually, his arm rested on Jayce, Daichi accepting it. Please don’t put up a fight, Jayce had said. Normally, he’d do just that, try and fight against the willpower of Jayce, but, oh, Daichi had just about next to nothing left to fight the man. "A genius," he muttered, repeating the word that he’d been given with a forced, and highly sarcastic, chuckle.

But he could feel Jayce’s eyes, despite everything else that he tried to ignore. Could feel his gaze on him, more specifically. Daichi was two seconds away from snapping at Jayce to tell him to stop, to snarl and give him something to stare at before --

Touch.

Jayce’s fingers landed on Akino’s neck, his throat immediately constricting. Couldn’t breathe. And it stayed like this for about a minute before his traitorous body realised that Jayce wasn’t after his life, no. The other man kept the touch soft, gentle -- just, resting there. Didn’t curl his fingers, didn’t do anything, no. Daichi’s head lifted to where he could look to Jayce’s brown eyes, blinking several times. Memories, that’s what Jayce said he earned with touch, wasn’t it? Little bits about a person that made them just that. Daichi didn’t dare fight against it, instead, watching the other male with an intent gaze. Not curious, necessarily. Had to wonder what Jayce was zeroing in on, though, Daichi trying his hardest to dissect Jayce’s current expression to see if he could find any hints as to what the other man saw in his own mind. "You could have asked," he finally managed to get out, though his voice was a lot quieter than he would have liked, despite the acerbic bite to the words that the tone clearly didn’t get the message on.

But see, the thing was, Daichi wouldn’t have stopped Jayce. There were some things that Akino didn’t dare want to remember, but there were other things that he wouldn’t stand to lose -- yet slipped away from him regardless of what he wanted. They picked back up on walking again, Daichi clutching his arm (not his shoulder, didn’t want to show Jayce or anyone else that it was becoming quite bothersome) as they walked towards the pier. Flinched a bit at Jayce’s question before quietly recovering, his head shaking and dipping just a bit. "My memory isn’t the greatest," he admitted, keeping his eyes firmly averted from Jayce, despite the other male not bothering to do so himself.

Motives. Didn’t he just love motives? Daichi could never really find it in himself to justify every action he made, so he just stuck with the logic of everything. I killed that man. That was an order. Didn’t care what the man did to get shot, because it was never anything that went against Daichi himself. So he stuck with the idea of him offering Jayce his memories from a more pragmatic outlook -- he did it as an experiment. No other personal motives. No other reason. "Please don’t tell me anything you see unless I ask for it," he finally told him, wanting to lay that rule down. Especially with this… memory that Jayce had, seeing as it concerned his father in there somewhere. There was typically a reason behind the memories that he did forget. Daichi turned his eyes up to the pier, dropping his hand away from his arm when he saw one of the men from before. Growled low in his throat in response to seeing him, falling back in step with Jayce. "So be it if I do." He was sure he’d rather die than be taken to wherever Jayce had planned for him to go, anyway. Good never came from being shot and taken captive.

[Aᴛᴏᴍɪᴄ.]

⚖ Ｊａｙｃｅ
[age: twenty-four // nname: blue, jay] - [location: nakane no yu; fukushima] - [element: metal]
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"You're right," he nodded matter-of-factly, "I could have asked. But they say that it's safer to ask forgiveness than it is to ask permission. I agree one hundred percent." His beam was bright as he withdrew his hand reluctantly from the skin on his contract's neck. He really ought to have bit more self control. But he was in a pretty good mood at the moment. As Dalton brought the smaller ship closer to the shore, Jayce was still wondering what Akino meant by his 'memory isn't the greatest'. The little comment had Jayce staring at the ground, figuring that this was the reason he'd asked Jayce to look into him. Well, what did that mean for any memories in the future? He looked up briefly, opening his mouth to say something once or twice but kept it closed in the end. That was an odd request. Jayce didn't mind keeping quiet about the memories in his own mind. He finally cleared his throat and shrugged, "Well, that's alright if your mind isn't that stellar. My memory is forever, which, can sometimes be a bit of a bother if you can imagine." And what a bother it was. His head was a constant buzz of activity. It was a metropolitan of fast moving thoughts and memories. He could be stuck on the complexities of how a bike stays upright. He'd read countless theories written by various scientists all over the world that would give him some sort of personal conclusion, but they all assure him that they're just theories. It drove him crazy. Or... or trying to describe 'left' and 'right' to somebody who has no concept of either of those words. He... was getting distracted. Wait. What?

By the time he pulled himself out of his own thoughts, Dalton had pulled the ship up to the shore. He blinked a bit and had to regain composure after getting thoroughly distracted. See? A confusing highway of thoughts that made thinking a living hell. Maybe that was yet another reason he craved to get lost in peoples' memories. He was swallowed by those moments. He had one purpose. And that purpose was the other person he was siphoning experiences from. "Oi!" Dalton called out, rolling his eyes in annoyance, "Any day now would be great, Atkins!"

Jayce chuckled, mainly to himself, readjusting his hold on Daichi as he helped the man to the boat. Dalton watched with an obvious grimace as Jay expressed the humanity that Akino deserved. "While you're helping him out, how about I get you a blanket and a hot cup of tea to give the package as well?" the other sneered, his arms folded at the sight of Akino. Man, the contract did look a little worse for wear, didn't he? But Jayce was sure there was still quite a lot of hidden bite behind that docile carcass. So, he shot a look at Dalton and returned the sneer, "Have I ever told you that your forehead is just big and round enough to impersonate the perfect target for Heads? He's jealous that his sister got all the action today." This got the bulky man to shut up, though he could only turn to control the steering wheel. Jayce finally gave his contract the space that he was sure Daichi craved, moving to sit across from him. But he still kept a watchful eye on the man as they left the shore every now and again. The mercenary looked away for a second to spend a glance at the country he was leaving behind. It was insane to believe he'd been in Japan for a single day. Before he could really think about that fact, the boat slammed down on a heavy wake and Jayce caught the snickers from the driver. Jay wasn't as easily amused as he shot a look to Daichi. God, these people were going to make Jayce lose his s**t.

"I'm sorry," he apologized again, frowning at the Townsend employee. Believe it or not, but he honestly could be happy to never see these people again. Jayce was no saint, far from it. But his questionable decisions in life were muddled by a certain amount of humility. He knew the weight of what he did and carried that on his shoulders with everything else. And then he went out to find something that could make him happy. It was a symbiotic relationship he had with guilt and acceptance. But these people... they were just too daft to know anything above a paycheck and a bucket of privileges. Just one more job. Just one more. That was his favorite phrase as of late. Just one more. He was aware that he was on his tenth 'just one more', but that was hardly the point. The ship was about a mile or two offshore, which gave Jayce the perfect opportunity to continue his conversation with Daichi Akino. "So, may I ask why you don't want to know your own memories? And is that your way of giving me permission to take what I want? Be careful, you may just have adopted a barnacle if that's the case. It'd be a waste if your memory disappears with you. That's all I'm saying."

[important]

⚔ ── ＤＡＩＣＨＩ　ＡＫＩＮＯ
xxxxxxxxxxelement: fire • age: twenty-five • location: shores of iwaki; fukushima
His fingers would twist and curl just over his blades, waiting, waiting as that boat drew closer. Didn't like either of the men that they'd earlier encountered, but it seemed that getting rid of them wasn't an option. Maybe later. If nothing else at all, it was probably that one, single thought that kept Daichi on his feet. Alive. Waiting. The prospect of death, destruction -- oh, how could he ever pass that up? But it seemed Jayce had other ideas, leading Daichi towards the boat, his grip on him tightening a bit as his head dipping, though his eyes never broke from Dalton. He was glaring -- Daichi was full aware of that. He was glaring at the man, offering no other warning, no other anything other than his sharp gaze to the man that drove the boat. Akino stepped onto the boat, gripping onto Jayce as he did before hissing slow at the words the man got. Package. There he was with the inanimate object idea again. Snapped his teeth in light of it, but it seemed Jayce already stepped up to the plate on that one, so he stayed quiet.

When Jayce finally moved away, no longer supporting Daichi nor his weight, he sat down, dropping his head into his hands and muttering something under his breath. Briefly glanced up to glimpse at the shoreline that they were leaving behind. Didn't feel remorse for leaving. The house, maybe, but not the country. When serving, he'd been stationed all over Eastern Asia -- randomly scattered throughout the continent. At one point they had him in Northern China, freezing and left to wonder when they'd remember where they were and let them come back south a little more. He was used to it, though. It was just the house that caused the issue. Daichi's hand flew out when the boat jerked up and slammed down, jolting his shoulder -- Daichi cursing loud at that. What an ass. Shot his gaze to the man that was laughing, snarling and shoving his hand towards his hilt, withdrawing the dagger that he'd had tucked there for far too long now. Didn't do anything with it, just holding on to it -- but the position he held it in, downward, ready to strike, showed anyone who even glanced his way that he was ready to spill blood.

Lifted his eyes when Jayce began to speak with him, Daichi eyeing the man driving the boat for the longest time before finally looking to the man who had shot him to begin with. Shot his eyes down, shrugging a bit in response to his question. That was why he'd given Jayce access -- so that the memories would resurface and stay with someone else. They wouldn't bury themselves in him and he wouldn't have to die knowing that no-one else knew. "You can take whatever you want," he murmured, glancing up with a slow sigh. He then set the blade down on his legs, sitting up a bit more. "Shiro. Kurosawa Shiro. My sister." His eyes flicked closed, thumb running along the flat of his blade. "She died two years ago." And that was that. Moving on. "Daire. King. She was really close with my sister and I." Just some background to help Jayce fill in the gaps in the memories that he did see. "My father. Kurosawa Takeo. My mother. Akino Natsumi." Pressed harder against the blade before relenting, tapping the edge of it and flicking his eyes back up, looking to Jayce for a long time. "They're dead."

[Aᴛᴏᴍɪᴄ.]

⚖ Ｊａｙｃｅ
[age: twenty-four // nname: blue, jay] - [location: "im on a boat mf, dont you ever fugeyt"] - [element: metal]
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Jayce kept his gaze trained on Daichi's every movement. He was rather privy to the venom that lay just inside his knife obsessed little friend. Every time Daichi so much as touched his blades, Jayce was ready to act against him. Thankfully, it seemed that the other was excerising massive amounts of self control at the moment. This was good. Despite his mood, he could still feel the hints of exhaustion pick pick picking away at his body. Daichi wasn't going to get away with anything while Jay was watching. But more than he was keeping an eye out for any hostility, he was making sure the other didn't pass out all of a sudden. The other's head was practically lolling. "Can't this boat move faster?" Jayce sighed, looking up at Dalton. It was a serious question. They were moving rather slowly. As a response, he simply recieved a laugh and the boat finally sped up. Well, that was a little better he supposed. Atkins' eyes swiveled back down to the blades that Daichi concealed, watching the other smooth his finger over one. Now the mercenary was caught between ideas -- he could take all the knives or he could not take the knives. In the end, he had to feel like the man was less of a threat with them than without them. Jayce could easily handle metal blades. Fire was a different story.

"They're dead," Jayce repeated, rolling the latter word over on his tongue every now and again. So... Daichi was alone. That would certainly explain why he could use a bit of a lesson when it came to people skills. But it also explained a lot -- possibly. There was still something in the other's eyes. He definitely sensed resentment. Jayce felt his whole body as it gravitated towards the man across from him. Well... it would have gravitated towards him if he hadn't planted himself with steely resolve. Yes, he was going to give Daichi his space. That is, until they got back onto the ship. There was no telling what Jayce would do then, as he'd been given permission to take what he wanted -- memories, of course. There was still that little twinge of guilt. It would be so much easier if Daichi was to be killed by him. He would be dead by morning. Jayce would see to it that the bullet tore through his heart and out the other side. He wouldn't need to warn him. He could end up in a situation where he could kill the man, close combat. All he had to do was go in for a memory, come out with a kill. But... he wasn't doing that. And the brown gaze which flicked over his contract was surprisingly warm despite the calculating thoughts beneath them. See? Even Jayce was capable of rubbing a venomous thumb against the weapons concealed on his hip. Even now, as he was looking for a casual conversation. Perhaps -- not so casual. "I never truly knew my birth parents. I knew that they wanted me to know how to shoot a weapon, but that's pretty much it as they were nevery home. They died when I was just young enough to not grasp the situation."

He didn't want to shrug. Lately, he wanted to stop pretending that his lack of family was no big deal. He'd been doing that his whole life, but humanity was catching up to him faster than he ever could have imagined. He sometimes craved to know what a family felt like. A normal life, away from killing. But he also knew that was never going to happen as he'd already laid down in his own grave. It was only a matter of time until he allowed somebody to bury him in it. Jayce didn't get to say much more in terms of family. He might have liked to, but Dalton was pulling to the back of the yacht. They were greeted by a few people that would pull the smaller boat up against the little deck, but otherwise, Jayce could imagine most were turning in for the night. Atkins would have helped but his focus was on somebody else, as usual. "Jayce, hurry it up, will you?" the gruff voice of Camden cut through the silence. "I love you, Camden," he shot a pointed look at the youngest crew mate, "But you're the last person to tell me to hurry up." The other shut up and was at a loss for words, retiring to scowling. Most of these boys didn't know how Jayce worked. He wasn't subtle when he said suggestive things, and he sure as hell wasn't shameful. As if proving this, the tallest male grinned and went back to his own work. He helped Daichi to his feet, using his body to keep the man upright. Somewhere along the line, Jay felt his knees go weak as he caught little flashes of Daichi's past. Things like military times. Angry fathers. And this time... a new woman. But as much as the mercenary would have liked to give in, he kept them moving.

It was a bit of a struggle to get the man from the smaller boat and over to the yacht. He managed eventually, having to to grab Daichi's good arm, sling it over his own shoulder, and support him that way. By now, Jayce was practically just dragging Akino alongside him. He simply had to be mindful of the other's consciousness. "Would you fight?" he finally spoke, his words settling over Daichi as he left the other men behind, "If I weren't taking care of this wound for you, would you just let it kill you?" His words were serious and he couldn't tell if he was still smiling or not. It was easier these days not to smile, especially since he spoke of death often. In most cases, Jay didn't smile when the subject of death fell on his shoulders. He turned the corner, stopping only to readjust his hold on the man, tightening the arm that was around the other's waist. "Because it would be a shame if you died here of all places. At least go out with a bang after I complete my charge," he muttered quietly. Jayce stopped outside the door to his room, "You'll be staying in here for the journey back. If you want to leave, I'll have to accompany you. Those were the conditions of the men on this ship." Daichi could easily kill every last one of them. If the other tried, Jayce would die trying to stop him. Or win and kill the other. The room was fairly large, with two beds on opposite sides. Like any luxury yacht, a mini bar sat in one corner and it flooded into a bathroom. It was a nice room. Daichi shouldn't be competely miffed. Then again, Jayce knew that was impossible. He could practically feel the hate. "Alright, down you go," he made a noise as he set his contract on his bed, telling him to sit there and look pretty like he had before. When he returned, he'd come back with a suture kit and other first aid supplies. "Shirt. Also the sleeve. Off," Jayce's voice was more of a plea than an order. If only it were this easy to get anybody to take off their clothes for me.

[important]

⚔ ── ＤＡＩＣＨＩ　ＡＫＩＮＯ
xxxxxxxxxxelement: fire • age: twenty-five • location: townsend industries yacht
The room was way too much. Daichi felt as though his very presence stained the place. His eyes would occasionally flick over to Jayce, but otherwise, he kept it around the room. There were two beds -- side by side. A small amount of space separated the two, but Daichi couldn’t help the sinking feeling he felt as he realised the other bed would likely be Jayce’s. If you want to leave, I’ll have to accompany you. And that kind of settled that. "Your parents. What were their names? Do you remember?" It was a question that Jayce could ignore if he did so wish. Would Daichi go down without a fight? Had Jayce done nothing, the most Daichi would have done was tied the sleeve around the wound and call it a day. "I wouldn’t stop it." But he wouldn’t advocate it. His last two years have been spent in an empty house that didn’t belong to him, waiting for death to find him there. Suicide was far too dishonourable, even if he himself was a dishonourable man. He wasn’t going to take the easy way out of this. "It’ll be a long time coming." And he meant it.

When Jayce set Daichi down on the bed, the first thing he noticed was the groan of springs. Well, then. Sneaking out at night when all was quiet didn’t seem like a liable option anymore, now, did it? Akino was almost certain that half of the yacht’s residents would hear him getting on and off of this bed. And he was also certain that this was done on purpose. Daichi scowled at Jayce when, again, told to set pretty. But the second Jayce left, Daichi’s gaze fell on the mirror’s frame he’d caught a glimpse of upon entry. Daichi stood, grimacing at the loud squeal of springs, trying to remain upright as he moved over to it. Flexed his right arm, wincing at the shot of pure torture that left his nerves screaming. Then, raised his arms, placing his hands on either side of the mirror, eyes down. Ignored the burn of his wound. Ignored his mind and all better judgement telling him just how pissed Jayce would be to know he’d strained himself, making the situation that he was in worse. Ignored the blood. Bone. Heat. Pain. And soon enough, the mirror was down, off the wall, and on the floor -- propped against the wall. Even went through the extra effort of turning it, the glass facing the wall.

He was back on the bed by the time Jayce returned, his teeth clenched and jaw tightened. Saw the box that he held, his head turning. Knew full well why Atkins was doing this, and it wasn’t out of the kindness of his heart. Daichi could feel the effects of his earlier actions on the hole in his shoulder, the pretty thing pouring blood even despite the sleeve that tried so desperately to keep everything in. When told to remove his shirt and the torn sleeve, he bared his teeth at Jayce. Had it been anyone else, and they would have received a blade straight to their jugular. But Jayce’s tone of voice made it different. This was not a shout out of an order. There were no formalities or pleasantries to it, now, but at least it was softer than the one-option one-way orders. And maybe it was that pleading tone that ultimately swayed him. Maybe. Akino untied the sleeve, head rocking forward to hide the rush of hard white that hit him, nearly knocking him to the floor. Cleared that bout of dizziness away rather quickly, though, returning his expression to the more deadpan one that he found himself far more inclined to using. With his left hand, Daichi took ahold of the back of his shirt collar, carefully pulling it off over his head. Hissed as the fabric scraped across the wound, eyes shut as his bloodied shirt was discarded, Akino not holding the capacity to care any less as to where it landed.

"You get shot out of a careless error you yourself made." Daichi’s voice was slow, words a bit slurred, and holding a heavier leaning towards chopping the syllables rather than letting the sounds flow. Shot was no longer a simple, one syllable word, no -- two syllables, split by a pause, a hesitation. "Your duty is to realise your mistake, but above all, carry it. You should not have removed the bullet." If anything, none of this should be happening. Jayce shouldn’t be helping him, but Daichi knew that he was absolutely no position to argue.