PA8(Scattered on the wind) Violet7:

[23:53] <~Kroked> Violet: it's late at night as you wake in the one wagon in the cravan you managed to salvage in the dragon attack 6 months ago. you and Kaia now use it to sleep
[23:53] <~Kroked> Josh keeps watch outside and sleeps there as well
[23:54] <~Kroked> you're having a hard time sleeping currently, not bad dreams or anything, you just woke up, and feel too awake to fall abck to sleep
[23:55] * Violet stretches and looks over at Kaia's bed to see if she's still sleeping
[23:55] <~Kroked> kaia is fast asleep herself, she's had to work hard to keep you all in some sor tof money, Josh and you have helped of course, but theres only so much you can do
[23:55] * Violet turns to see if Josh is still up keeping watch
[23:56] <~Kroked> you peek your head outside, and josh most certainly seems still awake
[23:56] <~Kroked> roll notice
[23:56] <Violet> )roll 1d100+15
[23:56] * Demonbot --> "Violet rolls 1d100+15 and gets 43."
[23:57] <~Kroked> something's not quite right
[23:57] <~Kroked> his sword is out, you recognize the black, demonic looking blade.
[23:58] <~Kroked> it looks like it's resting against his shoulder or something
[23:58] <~Kroked> it feels off somehow
[23:58] * Violet sits up in her bed and drops her feet to the floor, approaching Josh quietly
[23:58] <~Kroked> roll stealth
[23:59] <Violet> )roll 1d100+10
[23:59] * Demonbot --> "Violet rolls 1d100+10 and gets 70."
[00:00] <~Kroked> he seems completly absorbed in something and doesnt notice your aproach
[00:00] <~Kroked> as you get close, you discover what
[00:01] <~Kroked> his upper left arm is bleed pretty profusely. right where his sword rest, he's dragging it slowly across his upper arm. you can't see his face from where you stand, as you are behind him
[00:02] * Violet waits until his sword is no longer against his arm to cough quietly to announce her presence
[00:03] <~Kroked> there is suddenly a bloody sword at your neck
[00:03] * Violet freezes
[00:03] <~Kroked> Josh's eyes are wide in both fear and shock, he doesnt seem to quite register what hes seeing
[00:03] <~Kroked> he just stands there for several long moments
[00:04] * Violet looks him in the eye, hoping to not die
[00:05] <~Kroked> after a moment, Joshs eems to come to his sense, and slowly backs away, lowering his sword, he begins to shake a little, as if cold almost
[00:05] * Violet clears her throat again and places a shakey hand to it. "E-everything alright?"
[00:07] <~Kroked> "I....uh.... y-yeah" he quickly yanks his sleeve over his still bleeding arm. as he does so, you notice the exposed upper left arm is completly covered in uniform horizontal scars in neat tightly spaced rows. the upper arm to his shoulder is more scar tissue than actual skin
[00:08] <~Kroked> the sleeve quickly beggins to redden from blood
[00:08] <Violet> "You...um...you want to tell me why you're cutting yourself?"
[00:09] <~Kroked> he looks away awkwardly "uh...."
[00:09] * Violet gently motions with her hand. "Go on..."
[00:10] <~Kroked> "It's... you're a kid, you wouldn't... understand"
[00:10] <~Kroked> he doesnt quite seem to beleive his own words
[00:12] * Violet raises an eyebrow at him and bends over to pick up a tuft of grass. She lights it on fire and watches it burn with a glow in her eyes before turning back to Josh. "I wouldn't, would I?"
[00:14] <~Kroked> he hesitates and lifts his blade towards her, and awkardly motions to the base of the blade. in the light of the fire, you notice some strange markings, words apparently, but you cant read it "I don't suppose you can read that."
[00:14] * Violet shakes her head
[00:15] <~Kroked> "It's... a maker mark. the signature of the guy who made the sword. I can't actually read Japanese myself, but i had it looked at... the name on it, is Muramasa"
[00:15] <~Kroked> "Not sure if that name means anything to you"
[00:16] * Violet shrugs. "I've never heard the name before. But it doesn't explain why you're slicing your arm apart"
[00:17] <~Kroked> "It would if you knew what it meant. in... my world, my earth, Muramasa was a famous swordsmith"
[00:18] <~Kroked> "His blade were renowned as being incredibly powerful blades, sharp, destructive... too much so"
[00:18] <~Kroked> "The man himself was deranged and cruel, bloodthirsty"
[00:18] <~Kroked> "His weapons inherited that"
[00:19] * Violet raises her eyebrows. "And it's....what, extracting its price for wielding it or something?"
[00:20] <~Kroked> "They crave blood, and as such, incite bloodlust into the weilder, they wish to draw blood no matter what, no matter who it's from. They cannot be sheathed until they do so"
[00:20] <~Kroked> "Even if it requires wounding, or killing, oneself"
[00:21] <Violet> "Sooo...why do it to yourself? Why not go out and find people more deserving of wounds and death?"
[00:23] <~Kroked> "A couple reasons really... one, I'm not reallya  violent person, I dont like hurting people, not unless i have no real choice, or if its to defend someone. Besides, the only ones that ahve really been around are you and Kaia"
[00:24] <~Kroked> "And two... the blade... preys on the weakness of the mind. I... had already been a cutter before i found it. I quit though, with some help. But... the pressure from the sword... and everything else..."
[00:24] <~Kroked> Josh shakes his head
[00:26] * Violet stands on her tiptoes and places a comforting hand on Josh's head. "I understand. I'm just as messed up as you are. But it's not your fault. You're a good person, Josh Kroke."
[00:26] <~Kroked> Josh smirks "I wouldn;t go that far"
[00:27] <~Kroked> "...I tried to thrust my burden on you after all"
[00:28] * Violet raises an eyebrow. "And you think that's a bad thing? I've never told anyone my problems. Not...not even my sister..."
[00:28] * Violet shakes her head. "Anyways, it's better to say something to get it out there. And besides, I'm your friend, aren't I? That's what friends are for."
[00:29] <~Kroked> "Violet..."
[00:29] <~Kroked> Josh sighs "I let the dragon hit me"
[00:29] <~Kroked> "I wanted it to kill me"
[00:29] <~Kroked> he stares you in the eye
[00:29] <~Kroked> "I knew it was near dead, and wanted it to take me with it"
[00:30] <~Kroked> "I'm... tired"
[00:30] <~Kroked> he gives a derisive chuckle at himself and looks away
[00:31] * Violet punches Josh in the side of the head as he looks away with as much strength as her small fist can muster
[00:31] <~Kroked> he doesn't resist, and falls to the ground
[00:31] <~Kroked> he just sort of... lays there in shame
[00:36] * Violet glares at him with angry tears in her eyes. "That's not fair. How can you think of something so selfish like that? Don't you know how much me, Celia, and Kaia care about you? If not for yourself, you should care about /us/ enough to keep fighting. Do you have any idea how hard we fought to keep you alive?"
[00:36] * Violet "And you just wanted to throw your life away? If there's something wrong, /talk/ to us. We're your /friends/. There's no good excuse to just...give up on life like that. If we lost you..."
[00:37] * Violet breaks down into tears. "If I lost you...I don't know what I would do with myself."
[00:40] <~Kroked> Josh is quiet for a moment "I'm...I'm sorry" a single tear glows on his face in the light of the fire as he stays there, unmoving "I know, iknowiknowiknow. I know, I just... hurt. I didn;t choose this, I didn't /want/ this. I'd had enough adventure, i was happy, i had friends, I'd made something of myself, and than this happened, and the sword, it's... >
[00:41] <~Kroked> "It feels like it's eating me from the inside out... but i can't get rid of it, I need it, because I care about you guys, I might not have wanted this, but i know what i'm doing is important, and I want to be able to protect you..."
[00:42] <~Kroked> "But I can't, not really. I'm not strong, I'm weak, and in the end, you'd all forget about me, I'm sure they've forgotten me too by now..."
[00:42] <~Kroked> "If you lost me..." he he gives a choked laugh "You'd be fine, you''re strong right, you didn;t want me in the first place, remember?"
[00:50] * Violet tugs Josh back up to his feet. Looking up at him, she says, "Well, you wanted endless adventure at one point and now you don't, right? Well, if you can change your mind, then I definitely can, too. And you don't have to protect us. We protect each other. So you can rely on me as much as I rely on you, okay?"
[00:50] * Violet points to Josh's weapon. "I don't believe in that sword. And I believe in the person holding that sword. The others might have forgotten about you, but I could never, even if you do drive me crazy sometimes. And if we did lose you, you're right. We would eventually adjust, but we wouldn't be 'fine.' There'd be a huge, gaping hole left in our hearts."
[00:51] * Violet hugs Josh around his middle. "So don't go anywhere...okay?"
[00:51] <~Kroked> Josh is silent, but eventually, hesitantly, hugs back
[00:52] <~Kroked> "I'm... sorry. I didn;t.. mean to say all that"
[00:53] * Violet fumbles for words before mumbling through a choked voice "It's okay."
[00:54] <~Kroked> Josh lets go, and picks ups his sword, wiping it off carefully, before sheathing it "You... should head back to sleep"
[00:56] * Violet shakes her head, wiping her eyes. "I'm not gonna be able to sleep after all this. You go inside and get cleaned up. Make sure you take care of that arm and after that, you can either get some rest of your own or join me out here."
[00:56] <~Kroked> he gives a hesitant nod, and does as you ask
[00:56] <~Kroked> you feel it's going to be a long night
[00:56] <~Kroked> end rp