A Soul's Hangover

[Willoria]

Hizashi Junpei groaned. The sun pouring in the window of the hospital was bright, but it would take several minutes before he actually realized where he was at. He wasn't entirely sure how he got there either, it took time for his memory to flood back in. But suddenly he could remember the sealing, the blood, and most of all the spirit. He reached up a hand and felt his hair, it was a disheveled mess. Looking down he realized he was still dressed in only a simple pair of pants, but thankfully a blanket was pulled up over him and up over his chest, covering the seal and everything else. His arms were exposed, and he could see four black rings from his wrists up to his elbows as if he'd been tattooed. He couldn't see it yet, but if he looked in a mirror he would have also seen his crimson eyes had changed, where the whites of his eyes should have been was now black.

His entire body ached, pain resonated within himself and any movement hurt. But still he lifted up a hand and turned his arm in front of him, looking at the rings on his forearm. "...Damn."

'You'll get used to it.' Came that voice in his mind.

Jun groaned again, closing his eyes briefly.

'You'll get used to me too, child.'

[Kabu]

Some days ago Rika had first arrived at the hospital aiming to learn the art of Iijutsu, feeling it would be useful in future endeavors. Luckily work at the library had recently slowed and so she found time to focus on her training. She was making steady progress even if she had as of late been finding it hard to concentrate, Jun having been brought in a couple of days ago. She hadn't yet been allowed to see him as he was thoroughly unconscious and despite her best attempts to push the thought aside she was concerned and very worried.

Thus it came as a relief one day that just after she had finished seeing to a patient, assisting with some minor injuries, that a nurse arrived informing her he was awake and she could finally see him.

"Excuse me. I'm sorry, I'll pick up the slack later." she bowed to her teacher and ran out of the room, heading towards the destination she had been given.

On arrival she didn't even think to knock, pulling the door open, a bright smile on her face as she saw him lying there, not in the greatest of shape but nonetheless awake. As she approached his bed she did notice the rings around his wrists, a pained look very briefly flitting across her face, though it vanished just as soon as it came. Now after all wasn't the time.

Instead she leaned down, throwing her arms around him. "Oh Jun, finally! Finally! I was so scared but now you're awake."

[Willoria]

'Now, now... this one is familiar...'

Junpei was surprised when Rika arrived and immediately hugged him, but he was happily surprised. He returned the hug, wrapping his arms around her in return in spite of his own pain and a grimace that quickly came to his face. "How did you know I was here?" he asked quietly, his voice hoarse. He released her and leaned back in the hospital bed with a sigh. The blanket slid down a bit, the top of the seal showing a bit over the blanket though Jun didn't notice as he looked up at Rika and smiled. He reached out a hand and touched the side of her face gently. "Light, am I happy to see you." he said, caressing her cheek as he smiled up at her, still unaware of the changes to his eyes as he looked at her.

"I'm sorry I scared you." he continued, slowly realizing what she had said when she hugged him. "How long was I out?" he asked, finally bringing his hand back to rub his forehead for a moment, the bright lights still hurting his head. 'Damn, am I even allowed to tell her?'

'Oh you want have to... I'm familiar with this one...'

'What are you talking about?'

'Shishishi...'

That damn laugh.

[Kabu]

Rika gave Jun a slightly puzzled look as he spoke. Light? Could he have been referring to her? If so... well, she was beyond flattered. Though there was the chance he was delirious given... the events she now realized to have placed him here. How did such a thing happen? She knew a new host had to be chosen at some point but why did it have to be him? Surely he had been given a choice... right?

For now she put those thoughts in the back of her mind, wanting to focus on the boy in front of her... a boy with very creepy yet still endearing eyes. A boy that she cared for very deeply. "I've been here learning Iijutsu for several days now. I saw them bring you in just a couple of days ago but they wouldn't let me see you up close. When I heard you were awake I just had to run right on over. I really do need to properly apologize to my teacher for running out on her." she responded, tears brimming in the corners of her eyes.

Jun was okay and yet her heart ached. What was going to happen now? What... did this mean for them? For their future?

"I'm just glad you're okay... You dumb idiot..."

[Willoria]

Jun was smiling as he looked at Rika, reaching for her hand with his fingertips. He sighed almost happily as he looked at her, chuckled even as she mentioned learning Iijutsu. "Always learning something new." he said, chuckling to himself. "I could almost fall for you just for that mind of yours I think." he added, pausing suddenly as he noticed the tears in the corners of her eyes that caused him to frown suddenly. Jun sat up quickly, ignoring the way his head spun with the motion, and ignoring the way it revealed his bare torso as well as the seal. He reached out a hand to touch her cheek. "Hey, hey hey." he said quietly. "It's okay, I'm okay." he said, trying to sound comforting as he reached out to snatch away her tears with his fingers one by one.

'She knows more than you think, my dear boy...'

Of course then Rika called him an idiot, leaving Jun blinking in surprise. "Idiot?" Jun couldn't help a chuckle as he cupped Rika's face with one hand. "Rika, what's wrong? What did I do?"

'Shishishi... feigning ignorance doesn't look well on you, child... she's familiar with me, she was friends with my last host...' He could hear Shishire's echoing laughter in his mind and it caused him to freeze in place for a moment as he released what he was saying. 'She knows what I'm going to do to you, child. She knows I will be the end of you.'

Jun swallowed hard. "...Rika... you know don't you."

[Kabu]

It took all Rika could muster not to break down as she nodded, reaching to touch the seal on his chest. He truly was an idiot but as much as she wanted to get mad, to shout and scream at him... he was her idiot. She was determined to stand by him no matter what.

"Yes, I know. I know about the Genma. I'm particularly well acquainted with this one." she paused, taking a seat on the bed as she took a moment to straighten out her thoughts and feelings. It hurt to think about, much less talk about, but she had to let it out. "His previous host was my very best friend. She saved my life when I lost my arm and she told me of her status to help convince me to get my prosthetic. I, we, she had been doing so well and then during the war she completely lost control. The beast had to be silenced and she was killed in the process." she continued, swallowing hard.

She fell silent for several moments, simply resting her head against Jun as she let herself cry, her tears eventually drying up, replaced simply by sniffles. "Jun... why? The Genma grant great power but if you can't master that power then..." she couldn't bear to finish the thought, falling silent as she snuggled against him.

[Willoria]

Jun swallowed hard as she reached out to touch the seal on his chest, and he couldn't help a brief flinch. He looked down at her hand a moment and the strange mark before reaching up one of his to rest over hers, and turned his eyes to watch her. He listened as she spoke and shifted to sit on the bed with him. He sighed quietly and nodded slowly as she explained about the last host's death. "It... it told me." he said quietly. "During the sealing process, when I passed out for a bit, I think it appeared to me as her, and it told me a bit about what happened to her. Though I don't know how much of what it told me was true."

As she rested against him and started to cry, Junpei wrapped an arm around her and pulled her against him. He wrapped both arms around her and just held her, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly as he let her let it all out, and rest his chin on top of her head as she spoke and asked her question. "I'm not sure I had a choice." he answered quietly. "I was called into an office and it seemed like I was being asked but... honestly I'm not sure there was actually a choice." He sighed, wanting to leave it at that. But at the same time, he knew there was a simple truth there as well. "But if there had been a choice I think I would have done it anyway." he added quietly. "I can protect my sister with this. Protect you. The village... it's a real chance..."

He closed his eyes a moment and knew she might hate him for that, but he sincerely hoped he was wrong, he didn't want her to hate him for it. "I swear, I'll master this. I will."

'Shishishi... how cute...'

[Kabu]

While Rika had to some degree been hoping otherwise, deep down she had known Jun hadn't really had a choice. Even Sakaki had said as much all that time ago, even had said something similar about going through with it even if there had been a choice. Were all Genma hosts like this? Did they all feel similarly? He truly seemed to want the strength to protect her and she couldn't hate him for that. Though there was a very small part of her that wanted to. There was a part of her that even doubted him, that wanted to cut all ties and have nothing to do with the Genma. But there was another much bigger part overshadowing all her doubts.

"Jun... I still think you're an idiot but you're my idiot. I believe in you. I believe that you can find the strength to beat this beast." she whispered, reaching up to give him a quick kiss on the forehead, tears still in her eyes but for the first time.. a smile on her face.

[Willoria]

'My my, aren't you two sweet... hardly know each other, and so much faith... misplaced... misguided... I am going to enjoy tearing you two apart...'

Jun tried to push the voice of the Genma out of his head, sighing at his words, and trying to focus on Rika's instead. He smiled as she kissed him on the forehead, and as she pulled away he slipped a hand behind her head and pulled her into a kiss on the lips. This time just a little less innocent than their first, lasting just a little longer, his lips parting briefly as he took a deep breath into the kiss that he might feel her breath in his before he broke contact and smiled at her once more. "I think I'm willing to be your idiot." he said with a wry laugh.

"Oh for fuck's sake I'm going to vomit."

Jun about jumped out of his skin at the sudden voice, lifting his head as he looked around and realized for the first time someone was standing in the corner. The man had his arms crossed in the shadows and wore a cloak over himself, a hood up to obscure his face, and his voice even sounded strange. "For a second I thought I had another voice in my head."

'Shishishi... hello to your would be murderer in the shadows, child...

Jun groaned, leaning his head forward and pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance suddenly. He was finding he really was hating having this thing in his head already.

[Kabu]

Rika let out a tiny squeak as she was suddenly pulled into a kiss on the lips, this one more surprising and less innocent than their first, leaving her momentarily panting as they broke apart. It seemed he was becoming quite good at surprising her... and she didn't necessarily hate it. Some part of her actually liked it even. Being as she was, she was often doing the surprising and she kind of liked having the tables turned.

"Well good..." she began only to be interrupted by a voice, a voice coming from a hooded man standing in some conveniently placed shadows. Of course they weren't alone... privacy was something they would have to earn. She hadn't expected the guard to be someone she actually knew though. "Rokuro, isn't there another host for you to bother? We're having a moment here. Oh also, apologize to Kaede for me for running out on our lesson?" she pouted at the man, hugging tightly onto Jun as if to prove a point.

[Willoria]

Jun lowered his hand from his face and looked at the man in the corner warily before looking at Rika as she used the man's name. "You know him?" he asked, before looking back at the corner. "I... saw you at the sealing. I think."

The man sighed, still standing there with his arms crossed as he looked to Rika first. "Yes, there is, with another guardian." he remarked. "You know technically we aren't supposed to leave knew hosts unsupervised. They can be volatile." he added simply before looking at Jun and just looking back at Rika. "It's against the rules for me to leave him alone..." Rokuro sighed and pushed off the wall, heading for the door, growling under his breath as he stepped out. "I don't have to tell you what a bad idea it is to date a host, do I, Rika? Do yourself a favor, look into Tenku at least if you're going to stay with him."

As Rokuro left, Jun sat there in stunned silence for a few moments. "...I think for the first time I agree with the thing in my head when it called him a douchebag."

[Kabu]

Rika simply sat for a moment in stunned silence, a pained look on her face as she watched Rokuro leave. He was right and she knew it. Rokuro knew best the dangers of getting too close to a Jinchuuriki. She had heard about the incident with Sachiko and she knew that he missed Sakaki even more than she did, Souta's pain probably being the only one greater. He was right, dating a host was a very bad idea, but she very desperately wanted to make it work.

"Yeah, he's Kouseki Rokuro, a Genma guardian, one of several tasked to watch over hosts, and my Iijutsu teacher Kaede is another. Rokuro can be harsh and a bit of a wet blanket but he really means well. He's just been hurt very badly by circumstances outside of his control." she finally spoke, falling silent a moment more as she stared closely at Jun. Rokuro didn't know it but before Sakaki had died, she had in fact begun studying Tenkujutsu in secret, wanting it to be a surprise.. but she had given it up after what had happened, thinking it pointless, but now...

"He's right about one thing. I do intend to return to my studies of Tenkujutsu. And Jun, while you keep everyone else safe, I'll protect you. I'll be able to help you." she said, turning to look Jun directly in the eyes, a passionate confidence burning in her own.

[Willoria]

Junpei felt extremely sour about the things Rokuro said, sour enough that the Genma took notice and immediately started whispering things in his mind. The images that came with the whispering were even worse. There were glimpses of bloodshed, shredded bodies lumbering forward. Jun groaned, his head listing forward a moment before he brought a hand up against his face. He pinched the bridge of his nose a moment, and realized Rika was talking to him. It took him a moment to register what she had said past the Genma's whispers. "Hurt? What do you mean?"

She went on to talk about learning Tenkujutsu, and the spirit within him bristled. This made Jun grin and chuckle a bit, amusing him greatly to hear the thing complain at the idea. Looking at her, he loved the look in her eyes and reached over, suddenly pulling her over to sit in his lap in spite of how much he was hurting still from the sealing. "You really are amazing, you know that?" he said, one arm around her waist, his free hand reaching up again to caress her cheek. "I think so far one of my favorite things about you is that incredible mind of yours..."

[Kabu]

"Jun, It's not my place to spill his secrets but the Genma have hurt a lot of people very badly, Rokuro among them. I know he can be irritating but please try to be patient with him. For me." Rika spoke, feeling very worried about how distracted he had just been. Had he simply been in thought or was Shishire getting to him already? Well... the sealing had only just taken place after all but with any luck, a resistance to Shishire's meddling would be built up over time. And perhaps there was even some way she could help, a means to silence the Genma through use of Tenkujutsu...

She was broken out of her thoughts by Jun grabbing her and pulling her onto his lap, the act causing her to let out a tiny squeak. "Juuunnn, surely you're not in any shape for this..." she trailed off, looking to the side as she blushed. "Though I do quite like this. It makes me feel warm and protected..." she very quietly admitted, the embarrassing admittance hopefully going unheard. And even if it did... she did have a potential distraction in mind.

"When you're out of here I want to go on another date. A real one without any pretense." she sweetly spoke, head tilted back to look up at him and a smile on her face.

[Willoria]

Reading over Shishire's file Jun of course knew the spirit had hurt a great deal of hosts and the families who cared about them, but he hadn't really thought about others. When Rika spoke of Rokuro it really made him wonder who else had been hurt and what had happened to the man, but he knew she was right. It was his story, his secret really. He simply nodded out of respect for her wish not to break a confidence. "Alright... I'll try." he assured her.

But a moment later when he had her in his lap he couldn't help a chuckle at the squeak she let out and the blush on her cheeks. As she spoke of a date and looked up at him, he grinned back down at her. "You got it." he told her, leaning forward to kiss her gently. "I can't wait."

[Kabu]

Rika smiled, returning the kiss as Jun accepted her request, her joy at the prospect only increased by the general ease with which he had done so. "Good. I'm really looking forward to it. Maybe I'll even dress up for the occasion. Though I'm not sure I own any real nice clothes." she responded, letting out a blissful sigh as she snuggled against him. Excited as she was for a date, for now she was content with this, sitting on her boyfriend's lap enjoying this small moment of togetherness. It was a bit of comfort she had never imagined she would have and hopefully they would get to have many more moments like this, now and far into the future.

Though despite her bliss and comfort, she couldn't help but blink in surprise at a sudden realization. My boyfriend, huh? Well... I guess that's accurate, even if he is my fiancee. Hopefully... he feels the same. she thought to herself, not really disliking the thought by any means. She was just surprised with herself.

[Willoria]

Jun chuckled as Rika made a comment about her dressing up for the next date and shook his head. "You could wear a burlap sack if you wanted and I'd still find you beautiful." he told her, smiling at her sweetly. Though his smile quickly turned to a smirk as he couldn't quite help himself from a horrible joke. "Is it too soon to joke that you could always show up in nothing at all?" he asked, trying his best to make it clear he was teasing her and not being serious at all. Jun did do his best to be a gentleman at all times, but he was a teenager still after all. After what he hoped would be a good laugh he leaned down and kissed her on the shoulder before he heard someone step into the doorway.

"Now now, you two. The patient needs his rest." The voice came from a slightly older woman, a medical shinobi who clearly worked there.

Jun sighed heavily, frowning at her presence. "I'm feeling alright so far, I swear."

The woman shook her head. "Visiting hours are about over, dearie. And besides, you do need your rest. You almost bled out and spent a couple days out cold. Your body needs time to recover."

Jun frowned still, looking at Rika. "Medics. Always breaking up the fun."

[Kabu]

"Well, I could, but I think that's a different kind of date." Rika giggled at Jun's teasing, leaning into him as he kissed her shoulder. As much as she realized he was teasing her, she still tucked the thought away in the back of her mind for later. Perhaps one day such an opportunity would come.

At that point a nurse came, Rika frowning at the realization that it was getting pretty late. She didn't want to go and it was clear Jun felt similarly but... the nurse was right. And who knew what may be in store if she were caught breaking protocol. "Yeah, I don't want to go but you really do need your rest, and if I break protocol I'm sure I'll get an earful about it, maybe worse." she sighed, hesitantly getting up off his lap and turning to face him, leaning forward to give him a quick kiss before taking several steps back, heading towards the door but facing him all the while.

"Alright, I'm going now. You better at least try to get some rest. I need you healthy for our date!" she called out from the other side of the room, her mind a mixed bag of thoughts and emotions as she stepped into the hallway and moved to try and find Kaede, hoping she was still around to continue the lessons from earlier.

All the while though one thought was at the forefront of her mind as she marched down the hall.

That Genma won't come between us. Not again, not ever again.