night three - kill log.

[foxhounds]

Who: Killers and Horikawa Kunihiro
When: The third night
Where: The jungles of Ship-Trap Island

[ It's the dead of night when you first hear it. It's the distinct sound of baying hounds barking nearby. This must be the Hunt that you were warned of, and though it seems impossible, they sound very close. You can try and run, but The General and his foxhounds are hot on your trail... And oddly enough, even if you do try and run, you'll feel yourself growing more and more tired with every step. It seems this wasn't a completely fair hunt from the start. ]

Comments

[jyoshu]

[The order, honestly, probably isn't even necessary anymore.

By now, Horikawa's life is fast fading. Underneath the fully encompassing pain, his insides feel wrong from Tsurumaru's sick playing, and aside from a few choice words, ("beautiful", "Yamato", "enough"), very little can truly register for him. Rather than that, the fingers pressed against his neck are almost a welcome method to speed this process to its end.

What little air flow he's managed stops, and his body tries to fight it. The taste of blood, weak, half-coughs, liquid bubbling in the back of his throat. He feels like he's drowning.

But it only takes a few moments longer for it all to end, his eyes glossing over as his heartbeat finally draws to a complete stop.]

[gravesite]

Geez, so bossy. You should try patience sometimes; you might find that it just suits you. [ He can feel Horikawa's pulse beneath his fingertips, how it weakens and ebbs with each passing second, and Tsurumaru feels convulsions running through Horikawa's body beneath him, his last, instinctive struggles for air, before his movement ceases.

Tsurumaru prods him, poking at his cheek to check, before he tilts his head in Hijikata's direction, climbing off of Horikawa and stepping aside; his robes are a stained mixture of red and white. ]

Uwaaah, Hijikata! [ He claps his hands together, expression sparkling. ] I followed your order, just like you asked ー he's dead, see?

That aside, are we done? Or did you have something else you wanted to take care of?

He was your sword, you know. And I remember what you said of how well you treated your swords.

[hijiwanwan]

[ Hijikata bends over, and undoes the makeshift choker with the rope, tossing it to the side. ]

One more word out of your mouth and we're going to have even a longer talk. [ Small huff. ] Maybe we should see how well a collar fits around your neck instead, hmm?

[ His eyes narrow at Tsurumaru, giving him one last glare, but then his expression softens. He doesn't frown, nor smile but stares down at Horikawa's body. ]

Ahh... Well. [ He unsheathes his own Horikawa, and with a quick, strong motion... Chop! Decapitate Horikawa across the neck! Besides that are what Wakizashis are for, right? Finishing off the defeated opponents... Once and for all. Closing his eyes, he inhales, and exhales once more. ]

That's enough. [ Hijikata sheathes his blade. ] There's no turning back anymore, huh... Well, I said I wouldn't hold back. Whatever...

[ He's TIRED!!! ]

[gravesite]

Oh? I'd take you up on that offer, but sadly, I'm already wearing a collar. [ He tugs at the thin, gold chains around his neck. They're accessories, rather, but they're still around his neck.

It's sudden ー one second, Horikawa's perfectly put together; the next second, his head is, well... Tsurumaru's first reaction is to laugh ー at how overkill it seems, but at how their fates are sealed, now, and perhaps he's overthinking it; perhaps it's just post-murder adrenaline. ]

Anywaaay, I hope I impressed you tonight! Go clean off Horikawa ー you know, the only Horikawa that matters.

[ And after he's a few paces away, he lifts a splattered sleeve, waving at Hijikata again. ]

See you later!