cursebound. (Earinor & Akira)

Genji didn't want to hear any of this. He didn't want to hear the banging, or the scratching or anything else. He put his hands on his ears and tried to drown the sounds out, but it was no use. He couldn't keep the priest in there forever, but maybe he could clean up around here and additionally he wanted him to get better first. He could barely stand and he only made it worse for himself. Why couldn't he just lie down and be quiet? Genji didn't understand his reasoning. He didn't know what went on this head of his and he caught himself wishing Otoha back, someone that knew and understood Genji - the only one really. He had missed her so much, without even realizing it, without knowing who she was or that she ever existed. His mind was clearer now, but he still couldn't access any of the memories he wished to touch. His back started to feel kind of wet after another bang against it, but he didn't pay it much attention. Instead he wondered what he was supposed to do.

"Why...?", he asked the priest. Why did he want out? What did he gain from it? Why couldn't he stay put and heal? He wished Otoha back so she could just tell Genji what he was supposed to do. She only asked him to take care of Mikuni, but how? It wouldn't be forever, but at least until he was better he was willing to try, but he clearly didn't want Genjis help. Should he just let him out? Should he let him see all this, let him walk to his room and let him break his body even more? Should he watch how his bones crumbled from all the pressure he put on them and should he just stand by while he ripped his insides open with broken rips? He would never heal like that, but what was the alternative? Tie him to that bed until he was better? He didn't want to hurt him and he requested not to be touched. Maybe it was better Genji found someone, somewhere that could come here and help the last remaining priest.

A shallow sigh ripped from his throat. It hurt. Everything hurt. It always did, and his slow descend into madness, if not now, would happen the moment he decided to admit defeat. It gnawed at him, like an unfathomable ailment, and it haunted him, as if thousands of ghosts were weighing him down, forcing him to jump into a cold lake, and drown in there. Silence, there wasn't anything else they could share, but Mikuni had no right to be mean, to be less of a human than he made himself out to be - he had no right to exist within the confines of a reality he did not know, and he couldn't deny that living was anything but easy. There was nothing that passed his lips as he tried to stumble back upon his feet, in an effort to make the door budge, or view the world beyond the keyhole, but he passed - there was no other way. Genji was just trying, wasn't he? He'd not been gone for long, and Mikuni could meanwhile clean up around the infirmary, just for a bit. "I ... don ...", he was about to admit, but then, he shook his head, pressing it against the thick wood of the olden door.

"M- my r-", he coughed. Now, that wasn't anything unexpected. Before long, he got back up, forcing himself to waddle over to one of the cabinets - he took it apart, shoved contents and trinkets aside, before he could find the most crude things to write with; some rather thick, sun-dyed paper and some old ink, but no feather. Mikuni dipped his pointer finger into the vial and began to write rather big letters onto the parchment, only to go back to where he had been before and slide it through the bottom of the door, avoiding his own curiosity. On there was a drawing as to where his room should be, which was rather bold and useless, if one considered how badly drawn it had to be, due to missing precision, and a list of items he wanted: Clothing, his basket, his blanket, some shoes and a certain type of rosary, as well as his writing utensils. He had smeared his wardrobe on there, and divided it into two sides - one of them was his, and the other stuff on the side, he labelled as Genjis, not caring if it actually fit him. "Goh id?", he asked after a while. "Tahll hu-hur-hurts.", he managed to stammer. "Tea.", the priest demanded.

Genji couldn't understand what Mikuni was saying, but he could hear him rummaging in the room, or tearing it apart. He didn't want to yell at him and waited at the door, until a thin paper got slipped through under it. Genji took it in his hands and looked at the drawings on it. Then he listened to the strained voice. "Talking hurts. You wanted to show me, because explaining hurt too much?", he asked, then slowly stood up. "I got it. Clothing, your own blanket, your basket, a rosary and something to write with. And tea.", he repeated, so that Mikuni would believe him. "I'm going to get all those things. Please lie down again and... please don't leave the room...", he mumbled. Could he trust him? Genji would try, he couldn't lock him in there even if he wanted to anyway. Soon enough he decided to get going and follow the map to Mikunis room. There was no way of avoiding every puddle of blood and by the time he reached Mikunis room, his feet were red and wet.

Mikuni opened the door slowly, out of respect, even though no one was around. He found the cabinet quickly and he opened it to find the clothes described. He first decided to dress himself, so he picked some clothes that were meant for him. A white shirt that was maybe not as plain as he would have expected of a priest and dark pants. He skipped the shoes for now. He however found a bag he could use to put all the stuff inside. He put Mikunis clothing inside and even stuffed the blanket in. He also put in some paper. The shoes found some room too, then he also finally found a basket he believed to be Mikunis. He put the ink and the feather inside and then searched for that rosary. There was more than one and he just took all of them, not knowing which he wanted. Then Genji made his way to the kitchen of the monastery, even though it took a while to find it. He found some dried tea leaves there and added them to the basket, as well as a tea can and a cup. While he was at it he also put a plate, a spoon and a knife in the basket. There was surely a way to ignite a fire in the infirmary, if only to keep the patients warm. Lastly Genji went to that fountain he knew of and he washed his feet, before putting his shoes on. He also quickly washed his upper body, his face and his hair, but it only took a few minutes. He had found a wooden bucket too, which he filled with fresh water, before carrying everything back to the door of the infirmary. He knocked. "I've brought everything, can I open the door...?", he carefully asked.

Before long, Genji had repeated all that he wanted from him, in absolute working order - Mikuni was almost impressed that the stranger had made the effort to be considerate, but that was also the least he could do after all that had happened, didn't he? For a good, long while he stared at the door, until he heard footsteps walking along and disappearing in the distance. Only then did he truly believe Genji was done, but he'd voiced one last thing that he'd wanted from him, it seemed. No peeking - he could make do, even if the curiosity was basically killing him at this point. With a desperate sigh, he turned around and decided that he'd much rather clean up the mess he made, as quickly as he could, and then moved onto the beds. Decadence was a sin, and yet he couldn't help but move stuff around, giving himself two beds to lie on, as well as Genji - and to make matters worse, he even pushed around the curtains for said beds, even when his entire body was protesting, simply to be able to not look at him when sleeping, or installing some sort of privacy for as long as they were here. Resting wasn't his forte, that much was for sure.

After he'd done that, and audibly heard another bone crack, he gave it a rest and sat down on his side of the bed with utmost care; his ribs stung enough as was, and the more he bent and moved, the worse it seemingly got. All in all, he wasn't having the greatest of times, but he had to make do with what he had. Genji was taking his sweet time, so much so that Mikuni got up and opened one of the windows; he regretted his decision when, instead of a waft of fresh air to combat the beseeching smell of hopelessness, darkness and death, the stench of smoke flared up his nostrils and the stench of burning meat followed soon after. He shut the window before long and sat back upon his bed, holding his face in his hands as he tried to comprehend what he just witnessed, even if he hadn't seen it. Genji had been dead asleep, and yet, had that been his doing? He couldn't tell, and he somewhat didn't want to, even when his voice forced him back into reality. Mikuni sat there, appalled. "Ye ... yeh!", he spoke, trying to swallow more, as his throat felt dry, but in the end, he only choked on his spit.

Once Genji was allowed to, he opened the door just a little bit. Like this he put all the things he had brought on the floor by the door. The basket with the writing utensils, the bucket of water and the backpack with the rest of the items and some clothing. Once everything was in the room, he closed the door again. "Everything's inside. There should be a possibility to make some tea inside, right? If not, I will go and make you some in the kitchen.", he told the lone survivor. He didn't believe he forgot anything and noticed that the peace of paper was still in his pocket. He wouldn't need it anymore, especially not now that Mikuni had his own quill and some fresh paper. There was not much Genji could do for him, but he probably should get themselves some food. The orchard bore many fruits, so it shouldn't be a problem to find something. How the curse lay dormant now, it should even be possible for him to hunt. Maybe some bird or a fox, but that was probably not necessary.

"Is everything there? If yes, I will get some food for you and bring it here as well.", he told him. And then maybe he could find himself an own room not too far from here were he could sleep. He also wanted to know where the corpses went and he didn't see his weapons anywhere. Maybe they were still in Seimeis room. He also felt the need to do something for the dead priests. If not burry them, maybe he could at least build some crosses and put them up. Maybe the library bore some knowledge still too, if not about this old curse, then maybe about Otoha. There were things Genji didn't remember and things she didn't want to tell him. Even if religion warped reality, maybe there was some truth to her origin story and they surely wrote something down.

He watched Genji carefully, his every move in fact, and tried to make sense of what he was doing - he merely came closer to the hinge of the door, however, and seemingly had no bad intentions. Instead, he brought what Mikuni had asked for and already voiced his next ideas, something he could appreciate for once. With a nod, he pointed at a smaller fireplace at the end of the room, that obviously was meant to warm the injured right up. Was it the right thing to use and abuse for a pot of tea? Certainly. Why roam those empty halls, void of life and people, when one could just stay right where they were? There really was no need to come up with all of those silly things for self-gratification. With somewhat of a push and a pull, he forced himself back upon his legs and shambled to the basket that had been brought for him - Mikuni pulled out a blanket and his clothing and used the first one to hide his body from Genji, as he threw on some of the garments - it hurt, but it really was better than nothing. Why should he even consider resting? It was stupid. This body could take more.

"Mhm.", he resounded as he kneeled once more and rummaged through what he'd been given - there were many things here, but not all of them of immediate interest. Instead, he figured that some of those things were much more important to himself in a sense of sentimental value; Genji fit well into all those clothes that didn't even belong to him, at least from what he could see through that slit of the door that was open. Mikuni felt rather accomplished for the time being, even if he couldn’t see past the blonde - was the carnage out there really that bad? He doubted it. Once he was dressed, he grabbed both quill and paper, to move toward the little desk space that he'd written on before - he wrote his plan on it, alright. Firstly, there was some mention of what fruits were ripe in which stages, and others that definitely weren't for their consumption, if Genji wanted to examine the orchard first - and afterward, there was some questioning. Why couldn't he go outside? What was there? It couldn't be that bad. He was fine, his ribs just hurt, mildly at that, but otherwise he was fine, and that that over there, on the other side of the wall, was Genjis bed - if he wanted it to be. "Mh! Ghenhi!", he yelled and waved his paper. It was weird that the blonde didn’t come in, but Mikuni couldn’t care less; he came back to the door and shoved the paper in Genjis hands. For a second, he figured that it was stupid, but then again, he haphazardly rummaged through the basket, emptied its contents, and also presented it to Genji, now that it was empty. He pointed at the blonde, motioned for him to come inside, but … “Ghenhi? Gomm in?”

Genji waited patiently at the door, in case Mikuni wanted something else from him. He walked through the room, rummaged through his stuff and eventually came back to Genji who hadn't looked into the room at all. He was handed some piece of paper and the emoty basket and he slowly looked at it, but before he could answer any questions, Mikuni already asked him to get in. "You don't have to share this room with me...", he told him. "I will find a suitable bed somewhere else." There were enough now empty rooms and most of the priests didn't flee into their own four walls, so most of the rooms were fine to use. He knew Mikuni was scared of him and he had every right to be. He didn't want him to not be able to sleep and like this, he could probably push something in front of the door, so he'd know if someone wanted to get in while he slept. He needed some peace and quiet, he needed rest and how could he rest with Genji, the man who would have killed him if it were possible, next to him.

Now he looked at the paper and the drawing mentioning the orchard on it. "I don't... want to lock you in, it's just..." Genji clenched his fists and didn't know how to explain the situation to Mikuni. "You don't have to look at all this. I will clean it up." He'd find a mop or something and he'd clean the blood in the places where it mattered for Mikuni at least. It felt like the right thing to do anyway. Genji shoved the paper in his pocket. "I'm going to get some food for you.", he told him and finally closed the door again. Only then he turned around and made his way outside to the orchard. He found more than he had bargained for. A pile of dead and burnt bodies was directly in front of him. This must have been Otoha. It was still smoking and smoldering and he stood there for a while before he managed to look away and continue down the mountain. He found the orchard in tact and he picked some fruit to put into the basket. Only on his way back did he eat himself and eventually he ended up at the infirmary and just like before he knocked before he opened the door.

He went on and talked about ... something, at the very least. He'd not want to stay here, something which was fine with him, even if he'd much rather have protested; he didn't have the mental capacity to worry about the every move of his roommate in a state like this, and yet, he could only figure how harsh it would be to spend the nights down here, all alone, in range for others to come bother him, if they wanted to ascend that mountain, that was. If they were coming to get him eventually, he didn't know, but what would they even want from someone like him? Mikuni sighed. Then, he shook his head. There was no need to find a bed somewhere else, or worm himself into someone elses living quarters - it would feel wrong to him, and in reality, Genji could even go back up the tower, to the guest room he'd stayed in, if he so desired. Primal fear was all he felt, however - with Seimei and the others gone, he was to be alone for a prolonged period of time and once it dawned upon him, he'd feel the full effects of it, he was sure. What an unsurprising outcome that would be.

The priest simply nodded and leaned against the closed door as Genji was on his way - he grabbed the bucket of water and lunged it around, taking forever to get to the stove. He dipped his fingers in and washed his face, then fumbled with the kettle and hung it up, bastardizing the warming blaze for something else. His side hurt; he should give it a rest. Genji cared about him, in some crude way, he knew as much, but that didn't mean that he wanted that kind of attention, let alone that kind of attendance to his secluded self. Before long, he found himself trying to ignite the flame in the stove with what little firewood remained in the room, but as he did, the sparks felt somewhat uncanny to him - Mikuni grit his teeth as he watched the smoldering flames and added some leaves to the cold water in the kettle, but before long, found himself on his feet again, as he trudged back to the door to get the remainder of his things, which he'd simply tossed out of his basket earlier. How long would Genji take? He'd been gone for a while, sure, but now that he was - that every last soul had left the vicinity of the monastery - Mikuni felt uneasy. One peek wouldn't hurt, he told himself, glaring at the door that separated him from the outside world, one that Genji didn't want him to look past. Without warning, he pulled it open, but mere seconds later, as he perceived whatever was there, felt a heavy set of headaches plaguing him. The door was tossed shut immediately, with a loud bang no less, as he scrambled back to his bed, huddling with his blanket for warmth. There ... was nothing out there, and yet, it was horrid none the less. His second eye had opened, hadn't it? Mikuni clutched his head and waited, trying to make the throbbing pain pass - he was startled out of it by a knock at his door. "In!", he yelped, simply hoping for it to be Genji.

After he had heard Mikunis voice Genji slowly opened the door again to place the basket full of fruits on the floor of the room. He shot only a quick glance into the room and it seemed Mikuni had laid back down, but at the same time the water in the pot he had set up overboiled. "I'm coming in...", Genji decided and picked up the basket again to slip through the door himself. He closed it behind him, but kept his distance from the priest for now. Instead he walked over to the fireplace, set the basket aside and took a towel to get the pot away from the fire. There were already leaves inside it, but chances were high the tea tasted bitter now. He wouldn't know, even if he tasted it, he knew as much. Everything tasted stale to him, he would probably not notice any bitterness even if it was there. He still filled a cup with the supposed tea and took the basket again too. "I'll bring you some tea.", he warned the vessel and slowly came closer to set down the tea and the basket with fruit at his nightstand. Immediately afterwards he moved away again to keep his distance.

"If it's too bitter I can make you a new one.", he told him and was already fumbling for something else he could use to boil water with. Once he found something he filled it and set it towards the fire in case Mikuni needed some fresh warm water. The bucket was almost empty and Genji took it once more and walked towards the door again. "I will get some more for you." And while he was at it, maybe he found a second bucket he could fill up and something to clean the floors in the hallway with. Maybe he could clear a path towards the baths for Mikuni. He'd also search for a shovel, maybe he could try and prepare a proper burial for the remains of the priests. A cross for each one was in order too. There had to be some form of record of how many people lived here.

Whatever had opened his eye was taking ahold of him, as ungracefully as it could. When he watched Genji, just the way he was, he looked about as foreboding as his brain wanted to perceive him, but ... something was off, off indeed. Why was he reacting like this, to someone that didn't seek out his immediate harm and why, on gods green earth, was it only affecting him now? All those warning signs he should have perceived before were lost on him, for more than one reason, and while Mikuni wanted to trust Genji, he simply couldn't - he was a insatiable monster that, for all he knew, would be back to lapping at his throat, gnawing at his nerves and flesh in seconds if he let him come to close. The wicker basket alone gave him comfort, even if it felt alien to hear it hit the floor without his hands moving; he'd completely avoided the water that had been particularly screaming at him when it started to overflow in its little kettle, and even as things stood now, his glassy eyes were trying to spy through some of the blinds of the curtain, though, he was but met with a cliffy mountainside that certainly would lead to his death if he were to attempt a jump.

"Bitter? I'mh shue i'll bee fhine.", Mikuni replied rather puzzled, before grabbing onto the cup he'd been handed. It was warm, maybe awfully so, but he could blow the steam away and try to smile about it. "Thahnk yoo.", he merely answered but, soon enough, put the cup away again. His hands hurt, and his ribs hurt, but lying on his back left him in an awkward position, especially when he couldn't wrap his mind around resting. How long until Otoha would give up and finally heal him in one fellow swoop? He couldn't tell and it was awful. Mikuni sighed. "Genhi?", he tried to mouth and looked at the blonde, who was going to leave him hanging yet again. All those gestures were rather need, but he really didn't have to be so secretive about anything. Mikuni simply grabbed the paper, the quill and dipped it in ink, before he scribbled something on one of the corners. "Leave the door open. I can't see anything from here anyway. The air in here is horrible.", the scrap of paper demanded from the blonde and was, almost in a last ditch effort, launched at the blonde - unfortunately, it only stayed afloat for a bit, and didn't go anywhere near its intended target at all.

Mikuni seemed to throw a paper in Genjis direction and he slowly turned around to pick it up from the floor, before stepping back again. He read it, then shook his head slowly. "The air outside is worse.", he told him. It had been multiple days that the blood out there had time to dry and force its smell everywhere. Maybe he should bring Mikuni somewhere else, but he wasn't able to travel and he didn't want to be touched. Genji himself was used to the smell, it still wasn't pleasant. "I'm sorry.", he mumbled, then he made his way out the room for good, taking he bucket of water with him, closing the door after him. Next he did what he had planned previously. He searched the monastery for something to clean and another bucket. Once he found what he had searched for he filled both buckets with water to bring one back into Mikunis room. This time he didn't even say anything, instead he sat the other bucket on the floor and took the broom he found as well.

It was hard work to scrub the blood from the floor. Genji needed to fetch water from the well multiple times and the access was brushed down a staircase and to the next door leading outside he found. The water was red and bloody at first, but the longer he worked the better it got. The walls were not that hard to clean either, but the ceiling was not easily accessible. For now he felt like it was so little blood, it would be fine to leave it there. He needed to put on some candles on the wall to see what he was doing at some point. He worked a little while longer and wished for some rain which would wash everything outside away and would hopefully take care of the rancid smell in the air. Once Mikuni felt better maybe he could go to the baths himself without having to see or smell what had happened.

There it was, that halfhearted explanation that Mikuni could hardly dig. He didn't want to rot in this room forever, and he also didn't feel like making himself out to be a bigger burden than he already was, and yet, he couldn't stop himself from simply sitting there and hoping that, like all things, his condition would magically improve and the dead would once more walk the earth, just to please that crybaby persona of his, that was on the verge of worming itself out of his head and back into the real world. As bad as it was, he could hardly do anything about it, now that he found himself locked in a room - more or less - unable to make his own body do his bidding. Genji appeared, then disappeared, and at some point, he got up himself to get the steaming water off of the hook to simply wait a bit and wash his limbs and face with it, hoping to get any and all crusty blood that might still be on him, off. There was none, zero in fact, though; had Otoha washed their body? Whatever the case, Mikuni soon found himself back in bed, huddling for a bit of warmth, while drinking from his tea - it was, in fact - disgustingly bitter, and eating from the fruit that Genji had harvested.

While both the tangy bitterness of the tea and the sweetness from partially overripe fruit were a force to be reckoned with, Mikuni still didn't feel all that well. For the most part, he was watching the window, then the door, but aside from a few clunky sounds and few grunts, there wasn't much. Even when he decided to nap a bit, there wasn't a lot, but ... something was generally, maybe awfully off about this entire scenario. Was he supposed to do more to save his brothers? No, he couldn't have, and yet, he let their murdered cater to them. Mikuni grew tired of the schemantics of it all, especially with no book in sight, no one to talk about in close vicinity and Otoha as dead as a damn doorknob. Frustrated as he was, the priest groaned and got back up, lurching his pained body over to the door. There was no one handling it right now, but even then, it was hard to open - his hands trempled and his entire bodyweight was needed to convince himself of letting go of those stupid superstitions, letting himself out of his own one-man confinement. As he found his way outside, he only saw the hallway somewhat alight through the candles, but it was cleaned spotless. Huh? That was new ... maybe he could go for a walk now.

Genjis body still felt weak after having slept for so long and he was hurt too. The work he chose for himself was taxing, tiring and overall probably pretty useless. He wasn't a cold hearted murderer though, not anymore and Otoha told him to take care of Mikuni who did know death, but probably not to an extent Genji and supposedly also Otoha did. If not for Mikuni, maybe Genji also did this for himself. As a punishment for what he did, but he still needed a break and sat down on some of the stairs which still were wet. The monastery was ruined and empty and Genji wasn't sure if the priests, at least Seimei, didn't deserve death, but no... No one did. They deserved punishment maybe, for the helpless souls that were seeking help here just like Genji, only to then be sacrificed to a goddess who neither wanted nor needed blood. He understood why the curse manifested like it had, because he still felt anger boiling inside him. Maybe anger wasn't the right word, but at the very least he felt lost, hopeless and betrayed.

Genjis thoughts were interrupted by footsteps of a certain priest that made his way towards him. He quickly got up once he saw him on top of the stairs and looked at him. "I... I'm not quite done yet, but by tomorrow you can take a bath.", he assured him, unsure about if Mikuni rven wanted to talk to him. "It's quite slippery... You should be careful." Genji shot another glance at the vessel which should rest and not wander about. "Do you need anything? More water? Are you hungry? I can bring to you whatever you like. You should rest and give your body time to heal."

Easy now; he’d have a harder time later if he managed to dislocate his hip or rip off an arm. As long as his body trudged through the invisible water, he’d get somewhere, maybe even back to his room, or at least far enough to watch the courtyard and identify the rotten smell that had haunted him during the afternoon. Nothing remained; not a single moment of respite was offered to him as he watched the ray of sunshine - a murderous one at that - bleed through the cracks of the night and get up from his position. Fleeting, much like a fata morgana, he was; questionable and unreliable were the accounts of his existence and the tall tales that strangers told when they focused on his very word. Genji was different, he’d always been and would always be, and Mikuni needed no goddess or otherworldly visions to tell him that - he needed but one glance at the stranger as he himself was the one that clawed his fingers, the tips red from both desperation and anger, into the wooden doorframe to stay upright. “It’s fine. This isn’t so bad.”, he declared. What had Genji been so afraid of? There was nothing; no wild animal, no corpses, not even a splotch of blood. Was that all a lie to herd him in?

Carefully, he took one step, then the next, looking for support on the old, rounded walls and sporadically eyeing the one that wanted to kill him and now lock him up in this sorry excuse of a home. Was Otoha really enthralled by a guy like that? She, too, appeared to be much more pathetic than she was - than she should be. “I am, I am.”, he claimed in retaliation, holding onto whatever he managed to get a good grip on. Mikuni was the one, if not the only, that could go and pray in the church - it wasn’t his priority, but even then, those lost souls deserved a mass of their own, if only he himself felt better about their preventable, wasted deaths. The priest stopped in his tracks as he heard Genjis voice, however. Right, he wasn’t supposed to be going anywhere and even worse than that, he couldn’t even tell himself that this was a warranted action - it was anything but that. “I drank. I ate. I’m fine. Just not sleepy at all.”, Mikuni claimed. This time around, he couldn’t help but smile. Genji cares somehow, didn’t he? As fate willed it, he sighed. Felt bad, even. He was giving this poor lad a hard time, wasn’t he? “Would you … give me a hand? I just want to take a bit of a stroll, but I don’t think I can keep myself up if I lose the support of this wall.” Not that he was brittle, but … who wanted a rib to puncture a fresh set of lungs? It was ridiculous.

Genji didn't quite know how to fulfill Otohas wishes and care for Mikuni while also keeping his distance like Mikuni asked. He didn't want to intrude and he knew that the priest was scared of him and maybe angry at him, because he didn't want him to leave the room. "It's only been about a week... I think... you should rest some more before walking around.", he told him. The vessel was like a stubborn little child that couldn't stay put, much as he came back to Genjis room to eat with him and ask him all sorts of questions. In the end he was the only one trying to help him though, but then again, he knew beforehand what Seimei planned to do and Genji asked himself why he never stopped him and never told him that Otoha neither wanted nor needed sacrifices. She told Genji she never had control over this body like she did then, so that must have meant that while she was telling him she didn't want that, Mikuni refused to stop what was happening in this monastery. Genji probably wasn't the first one, though he definitely was the last, so why didn't Mikuni send him away again, why let him in?

When he was asked to give Mikuni a hand, Genji was startled and it took him a few moments to answer. "Are you sure...?", he asked. Should he truly come closer? Should he extend his arm? He was worried and maybe even scared himself, of what he was capable of, even though the curse wasn't controlling his thoughts and feelings at this moment. He carefully and slowly came closer and extended his arm, so Mikuni could grab it if he truly wanted to. Albeit it being the same body, he hadn't been scared of hugging and being close to Otoha, not that she would have let him go anyway, but Mikuni was a whole different story. They weren't the same person and even their shared body moved different, depending on who controlled it. "We can't go much further... I'm not quite done cleaning up.", he told him. It took him the whole day to get this far and he was sweaty because of it.

Mikuni wanted to go, to leave this stupid infirmary and take a trip outside, as far as those numb legs would take him. It was stupid if he thought about it - the demon that Genji called his better half didn’t rip off his limbs, not even a finger, not a hand or an eye, or even something like his nose, or tongue. What was this guys ultimate goal, then? He didn’t know and figuring it out was hard - he could be wanting his head, or his death, or his blood and shambling organs. However, Mikuni recalled little of the actual ordeal - the small amounts of reality he was aware of were shreds of evidence, for something that made little sense. Then, why wouldn’t he be able to trust Genji? Like this, he had nothing to lose, but even still, it somehow hurt to even think of laying a hand of him - of grabbing that arm of his for support, now that his echoing steps came closer, caught up to him and his curseless form stepped into his field of vision. “Rest?”, he croaked. Now, his words were finally starting to sound normal, but by the goddess, his throat hurt and his knuckles had taken an awful white color, now that the surrounding flesh was bright red from supporting all his weight in that wall.

“About what …?”, Mikuni wanted to know. Something was off, maybe, but even if it were, he wasn’t so sure what he would or could label it as. Was he going insane? It was likely, but then again, on the other hand, he was doing his utmost to adjust to a situation that he wouldn’t wish upon anyone. Silence was all that followed, as if angels were heralding the arrival of something, but as he tried to gaze past the walls, into the courtyard, he found nothing but profound darkness and yet, still, grabbed onto the blonde for balance and help - if not for keeping his body up, then to understand what lay before his eyes. “Can’t we?”, he pleaded and tugged on his support. Mikuni wanted nothing more than a wash, and Genji had to help him to the baths, if he wanted to or not … but, it still smelled horrid out here, didn’t it? What was he trying to hide?

"Yes, rest. Even though your body seems quite indestructible, I can see you are hurting. You should regenerate... like this you might just hurt yourself more.", Genji told the young man that behaved like a little child. If Genji had a body like that, he wouldn't need to worry about dying. He could bury himself deep in a cave, or jump into a volcano and simply reside there for the rest of all days. He'd kill no one ever again and the curse remained contained inside him, but thinking of the possibility to put Otohas power into his own body called upon a foreboding feeling he couldn't shake off. It was the worst idea possible and she probably knew that as well. There was something about Otoha, that the curse absolutely despised, even though right now Genji didn't feel it at all. it lay dormant inside of him, sleeping and regenerating, hoping that Genji would die, or that it gained enough power to reek havoc once more. It was only a matter of time and until then Genji probably should search for a place Mikuni could safely stay at.

"Are you sure about taking my help...?", he clarified. Mikuni didn't seem like he wanted to have anything to do with Genji and that was quite the correct reaction. All Genji wanted was to protect him a little while longer, until Mikuni felt better and could take care of himself. Maybe he'd just stay here. He had food, water and a warm bed. Now that they stood at pretty much the end of their path Genji firmly didn't move. Otoha said to keep him away from all this, even though he must have know no one but him was left. "We should move back to the infirmary.", he told Mikuni. "We can go further tomorrow. You can take a bath by then." Genji might have to work the whole night, but he'd do it if he had to. This was his punishment, a light one at that. He deserved more than some hard labor and aching muscles.

Mikuni hadn't even registered it clearly - his field of vision was blurring, even though it was supposed to be something he had full control over, all the while his body ached, moreso than ever, in an undying rhythm that, no matter what, simply had a chokehold on him. Genjis help was needed, appreciated even, but now that even air was flowing through his crushed windpipe and he had taken his first few steps, he wanted nothing more than to see what lay beyond the structure he was using to support himself with. Was there a need to adhere to everything that other people said? Not even Otoha seemed to be against his little idea, though, maybe she simply slept and wept at his stupidity in silence, far away from the real world that she no longer wanted to be apart of. The priest stopped in his tracks as Genji stood there, all proper and dismissive of his stupid, childish idea to catch a glimpse of what he wasn't supposed to see; something that he wasn't supposed to reach with those weak legs of his, almost giving way beneath his own weight. Maybe the stranger was right, even if he loathed to admit it.

"Yes. What other option do I have?", he wondered aloud. It wasn't a friendly response, but even then, he could tell himself that he was merely doing it to keep himself from developing any stupid phobias - he could avert his gaze and ignore the flesh he was clammoring his onto, pretend it was simply much needed support. "Back? But it ..." Mikuni sighed. Wasn't he asking for too much of a man that he'd picked up in a forsaken orchard, in a forgotten world, in no particular place in a shrinking world? If not for him, maybe Genji would have fed himself to the children of the night, the beasts without faces - to the being inside of him, void of emotion, of righteous feelings. "Fine, alright. Let's go back. Drink some tea with me." He'd brew them a new kettle, talk about some of his quite unbefitting interests - maybe about smoldering moths, about brewing moonshine - anything, to get something out of this man as well. Once more he reached for Genjis hand, not meeting his gaze, but holding onto what he could grab; which hardly was enough. Without a second warning, he turned around and put some of his weight, if not a bit too much of it, onto his caretaker. "Lead the way."

"Hmm... not wander around until you can walk on your own?", Genji answered. He didn't intend to be smug, but maybe it came out that way. He wasn't used to talking to others, he wasn't even sure if he talked to anyone since Otoha died. If he was completely honest, he wasn't even sure who she was. He couldn't remember her, not really, he just remembered missing her deeply. She could tell Genji whatever she wanted, she could be a witch, trying to get ahold of his curses power for all he knew and yet he trusted her with everything he got. Looming questions still were present though, questions about her and Mikunis intention when he came here and when neither of them warned him ahead of time. They knew about Seimeis plans, about the masses and the blood and Otoha must have known what would happen if Genji truly died, if he truly knew her that well he would have told her. Was that why she pulled out the curse? So he'd been saved from a fatal blow by an old priest? Or did she use him to get rid of all those priests that forced bloodshed upon her she didn't want?

There were too many questions and not a single answer. Genji didn't know who he could trust. He trusted Seimei out of desperation and the world had almost ended because of it. What about Mikuni? What about Otoha? Should he put his trust in them? He felt like he had no other choice but to adhere to her wishes and take care of this little, lost and apparently innocent lamb. How innocent could he be if he watched countless people die to be presented to him and Otoha? How little could he really know of death and murder? None of this made sense the longer he thought about it and before he knew it, they were back at the infirmary. "Tea...?", he asked minutes late while Mikuni opened the door and Genji just stood there, feeling as if he just had woken up from a dream. "Aren't you scared of me...? Not that there is any reason. The curse is deep asleep, I can't feel it at all. Yet, I'd understand... I won't bother you any longer than necessary..."

"No thank you.", he insisted. Genji sounded pretty stupid - a cursed buffoon with the tendency to meddle in other peoples lives it seemed, and even worse than that, Mikuni wasn't exactly keen on the newfound attention that he received, just like that, out of nowhere. Those deep blue eyes rested on him, calm and gentle as they should, but the irony wasn't lost on him - it never would be. "I can laze around and stop working when I'm actually dead, it's not like I'm immortal.", Mikuni declared, sounding overly confident in his diminished abilities; he was no match for someone like Genji, or anyone that knew how to wield the tiniest of blades. His parents had not raised him like that, Father Seimei hadn't either, and while Otoha might not have had the ability to influence him in such a way, she definitely would have raised a blade by her lonesome, years ago, and freed him of whatever bothered him. In a sense, she was like a dream, and Mikuni was the one that dreamt her, the one that had to play along with her rules, while he himself harbored her; was it any different for Genji? If only he knew.

"Yes, tea. That took you a bit - cat got your tongue?", the priest asked, a streak of confusion smeared across his bewildered face as he was guiding himself along the stone walls, finally having no need for Genjis support any longer - this was indeed tuckering him out. For a moment, he wondered how yesterday could have gone, or why the eerie silence still swept through this ghastly monastery like some sort of vile reminder, but that was all. Just like that, he had emptied out his head and was gripping the kettle that had sat there, beside the flame, void of the longevity of its former warmth. Mikuni grabbed it and shifted his attention toward the window, one which he opened with relative ease, before he dropped the contents of that kettle outside, down the mountain range, to never lay eyes upon them again. The curtains swayed in the breeze that he was inviting in, but just as he tried to turn, he was reminded of Genjis unrelenting presence. "You can't kill me. I can't kill you. It would be a lie to say I'm not scared of whatever takes ahold of you, but ... I'm safe now, and so are you. I needn't fear you right about now, do I? It's not like you can kill me in a way that matters, anyway.", he claimed, forcing himself to smile. Before long, he thrust the kettle into Genjis hands. "Get us some water, will you? Then we can talk, over a nice cup of tea. I have some questions I'd like to ask you - you're not bothering me. Actually, you're quite the opposite.", he cooed. For now, Genji seemed much less like a murderous beast, and much more like a wet kitten.