OPEN STARTER. redemption verse || PREVIOUS EVENT — NEXT EVENT
leads up to blog events / more interaction with the blogs main timeline, there's gonna be hidden things that'll be referenced. all mains interactions have impact.
The Musashi Shrine ... It used to be the base of the Tokyo Manji Gang—a birth spot of a stupid dream formed by six stupid kids with hearts far too big for their chests and not enough experience in the world to understand the ramifications of such a thing... all because of one being abused and used by 'friends' that only valued him as a doormat— resulting in retaliation that they had no business being in.
"If one of us gets hurt, we'll protect them... a gang that's all for one, one for all."
That had been in motto, probably so long lost in time with its ideals shifting towards the shadows with uttered allegiances that sounded so sappy yet genuine wiped away by time just like the sixth member had been after a misfortunate accident, lost to time and lingering around in the mind like a ghost in an empty house; always there despite how much time had passed, stuck replaying in final moments or waved away when it's presence was felt with the shrine being the home untouched as the city around it carried on.
The shrine still stood scenic on top of a small mountain with a long stone staircase and a torii at its worn entrance. Its oratory is adorned with moss covered stone dogs while a Chōzuya and an ema stall stood beside it with the lights softly filtering through the foliage and making the worn down wood have a cool glow. A lone figure was perched on one of it's benches at the summit underneath the shade of the overlooking trees, an unlit cigarette between their split lip as they stared blankly down at the cracked stones that somewhat shined from the shrine's caretaker potentially coming by time from time.
The shrine wasn't visited as it used to be, maybe during the festivals had the foot of the mountain been decorated with life and back then it would've been filled with the distant laughter and stupid jabs—Kazutora wasn't sure when they stopped using it but, wasn't too terribly surprised to find it taken over by time that's passed and maybe it was for the best. He had made it a habit a while ago to come sit on the stone benches at the top that had become his sanctuary when he was younger—when they were younger and things weren't as bad, when he felt safe and the warmth of those around him even if he was still skittish then. He only came to either reminisce or think away from the noise of the city, where he didn't have to consistently look over his shoulder. It was stupid to do, it was stupid to be so attached to this place but like with everything else it was hard to let go.
It didn't help that now, the past was popping back up in a way he couldn't figure out if it was all coincidental or simply a sign to request moving neighborhoods, he had already felt the guilt and blood from years ago that only piled up the more he had moments of quiet and waning clarity to think on all the actions that led him to Tenjiku... to clinging onto Kisaki in place of what was lost instead of moving on when he should've like everyone else...
He would've liked to have thought that he'd help a pet shelter, maybe foster some animals time to time... maybe in another life? Maybe he could've owned it with Chifuyu and Keisuke, the latter always wanted to be a veterinarian...
Kazutora adjusted the way he sat on the bench, his joints protesting from him moving after staying stationary for so long, about to reach into his pocket for the worn good luck charm he'd snatched off of someone a long time ago to return it to its spot on the shrine with the others worn with age when he heard footsteps over the chirping cicadas.
