epidemiology | ʕノ•ᴥ•ʔノ︵ ┻━┻ { catch-all }

Even a place like Oska has a lurking beast hidden away from its beauty. Not only is it as if stepping into another place ( another time ), but the contrasts are immediately obvious. The empty dungeon and its hallways tell a story well enough: No one is down here and neither should you. Empty cells have nothing to offer, locked and otherwise off-limit areas that Masamune can't break into seem to be hiding something but he has currently no reason to obstinately pursue entering places that are locked tight. Every castle has its dungeons, though. Beyond this one not being used— even locked doors can't raise his suspicions high enough to wonder if that thought is actually true or not — it's the typical cold and musty air of an underground dungeon built with stone. He keeps on walking the hall, though; his mind is convinced this is pointless and he should go back to more populated (and interesting) environments than hanging around here, but his senses aren't convinced.

That's how he finds the Viewing Room, but while Masamune glances into a few of the mirrors, there is nothing obvious or otherwise out-of-place for the type of room it seems to be. There's also nothing in the mirrors that suggests even a hint of ill-intent and neither does the room's 'occupants;. The anxious feeling that now seems to have no origin, after all, persists, though. He inhales and exhales heavily through his nose once, eyes closed and hands folded across his chest to mentally gather himself.

This is stupid. Not only is it stupid, but trying to find what's bothering him in this place is a pointless effort. He doesn't think it's this room ( --with its so many mirrors that he thinks would be so easy to break by falling from the walls if anything like those simulation disasters occurred-- ). It's something else, which means it could be elsewhere or it could be nothing at all.

Regardless, Masamune opens his eyes and glances to a random mirror one more time, considering the reflections. There's nothing even really going on to witness. What's the point of them, really? They could be monitoring something; if so, though, they aren't working that well considering this particular one is hardly showing any living creatures, nevermind any type of movement or actions that would make that kind of purpose sound likely.

Of course, this would be the place that Hisahide visits first. It is not as though he knew the room was there, but rather curious about what is in the depths of this organization. Literally and metaphorically.

"Mirrors that show what is happening in multiple timelines." His voice cuts through the oppressive silence as he looks upon the mirrors with interest. He reaches out to have his fingers glade across the glass, listening to the soft squeal as the barbed claws attempt to scratch the pristine surface. "The idea that there is a flow which we need to be upon. The attempt to take a rock out that has upset a river. But the boulder is already in place and we are attempting to forcibly correct what may need to be there."

He is unhurried as he walks down the corridor. It does not surprise him that the first person that he should meet is the young dragon. Very little ever upsets him. There may be one man that gives him pause, but pause is will be given. Rightfully so. An owl bows before the sun. "And yet they attempt to do just that. I find the hubris to be interesting, One-Eyed Dragon. Interesting enough to see where it shall take them." Looking away from the reflections, he smiles in greeting. It twists at the corners, hinting at the cruelty just beneath. "How do you do, good sir?"

How?

Masamune's blood curdles the minute that voice fills the air. Along with the tone accompanying it, the sound of his voice is something he can never forget, even in a place realities away from their own.

He looks to Matsunaga, a million and one feelings rushing through his mind but not one manages to stick long enough to ooze its influence of his movements. For a week now, things seemed to be going far too well. After everything, Kojuro was finally back at his side and despite the very foreign territory, his mood had normalized quite a bit.

So much for that trend. It made sense, that he wouldn't be allowed Kojuro without something to level the playing field back down. Like hell is he going to let this get away from him, like hell will he let Kojuro be taken from him again.

"You—"

Masamune growls out the word but his sentence suffers from his overly dry throat, and it takes conscious effort to swallow--to formulate a complete thought to vocalize. This is no different than any other time they've met, not at all. ( --except his guard wasn't let down this much and he wasn't unarmed-- )

Shit, this is the worst kind of exchange to deal with when it's just anyone, nevermind someone a dangerous as Matsunaga. Masamune isn't afraid, though, so much as simply stewing in a storm of surprise and fury.

Don't how do you do him with that smile. (Why is he so easy, he shouldn't let Matsunaga be able to cause this with nothing—!)

"Matsunaga Hisahide, when the hell did arrive..?!"

His head gives the smallest of tilts as he looks -- really looks -- at the dragon. For a second, he betrays little of what goes through his head. A calm, neutral expression despite the fury aimed in his direction. His eyes drift down before he frowns.

"Does it matter? Time moves as it should and when it should. It holds little meaning ... when does something happen? Should it be more how it should happen? That is how these people appear to think, if I am to understand such thinking." He shakes his head, disappointed. Always disappointed. His eyebrows come together as he looks upon the Masamune's face again.

"You lack your roar. You lack your claws." Opening his hand, he gestures to how the young man -- yes, young man -- is unarmed. There is an accusation in his pointed stare when he brings his eyes back up to meet the other's one. "Is this what they would like to have happen to one of ours? If it were me, I would have made a better end for you. But an end is an end. A tame dragon is of little interest to me."

Hisahide turns himself to look upon the mirrors instead, as though they are far more fascinating to look upon than one from his own land. His hand rests upon the sword at his hip in a lazy fashion. The sword that rests sheathed holds meaning to him, though the meaning has been lost to the new generation. It is part of him and he gifts a moment of understanding to the tame dragon. "Did I not once say that treasures are only treasures so long as they are viewed as such? But, if they are discarded so easily... there is no reason to go for those six sword any longer."

His eyes narrow on a scene flashing in the mirror. It has nothing to do with his own world, with his own time. That is why it is of worth.

No, NO. Even if the thought of being tame really could get Matsunaga's interest to be lost is one that he could count on being true, Masamune can't stomach it. He can't stomach it because it's as if Matsunaga has been here watching all along in this goddamn room through its mirrors at everything that occurred while in Chantes. The small witch he's become borderline obsessively protective of, the princess that he's come to see as a real friend, the servant that filled Kojuro's shoes too as an advice giver when he needed it desperately, and the king that crushed this dragon's wings and claims ownership of to begin with.

Somehow, too, Matsunaga saying such things is far worse than anyone else. Is it because the elder man knows him much better-- even if that actually means very little at all (or so Masamune will time and time again declare)?

He has so many excuses to fire back at why Matsunaga is wrong, but he stops himself short when he opens his mouth, finally. If he becomes hostile and defensive, then... Of course, it proves Matsunaga right, doesn't it? Masamune lowers his head, his posture stiffening and fists clenching before he forces them loosen. Swallowing his anger, Masamune raises his attention back to the older warlord.

"Until just now, there's been no reason to carry my blades in the open while here and to where I was going."

Which was to go meet a girl but that got sidetracked a bit... Of course, Masamune is not entirely unarmed, either, his tantou is concealed in his jacket for any necessary defense. Kojuro has his swords rather than simply leaving them locked away with no one. It also helps that "their kind" are at the top of the food chain here thus far, powerwise, vying for the spot officially with the likes of Servants and gods.

"But, if you want to give up on them, be my guest!"

No love lost there.

"And, of course it matters! Do you really think I don't care that you could be slithering around in the shadows without me even being aware it's a possibility to begin with?"

"It's nice to know that someone's taught you how to speak to me." Here he thought that he would hear unintelligible words laced with anger and hate. He smiles to himself, a little more proud than disappointed now. A tame dragon is of little interest to him, but one that strains against the leash now upon him has some worth. "Those blades were once an extension of yourself. Your claws. If you see no reason to have them not with you at all times, you see no reason. I cannot make you see what you have forgotten."

He drops his hand away from resting it upon the hilt of his own sword. A message lost but it always is with the young. "As I told you once before, I only go for treasures. I have no use for swords." Blinking, he squints as he stares at a scene in one of the mirrors. Surprisingly "modern," like where they now find themselves. The lights of the building are dazzling and he wishes to know if anyone would mind if he should take it for himself. But he pulls his eyes away to make a thoughtful sound.

"Obviously, it does not. I could have arrived at any time until now, after all." He cants his head to the side. This is a much different outrage than having him point out how little a roar Masamune now has. "My, my... I have no idea what you are mad about right now. I am here now and I am to work with these people. These are facts we cannot avoid. I would feel the need to tell these people I have been a retainer for but one man, and it ended quite poorly for that person. Yet they do not seem to care. Results matter more than the person. The idea of changing history and time to what it should be ... as they see it."

A small shrug of the shoulders. "I appreciate the coldness of the organization that sees people as tools rather than as people. I would be very upset otherwise. But these people do not care about us or our wants. They only wish for us to complete a task and if we cannot, they will gather more bodies that can. I can respect such effectiveness, because eventually you will find a sharp enough tool to break through the wall. Even if you must dash dozens against it first." And that is why he is going along with this beyond wishing to see how far their hubris will take everyone.

Taught him how to speak to—

Oh, hell, did Matsunaga really just--? Masamune feels hot at the fury that shoots up through him suddenly, raking his insides across hot coals and goading him to drop his control. Control isn't something a person like this deserves and to pretend it's necessary is absurd, the little voice in his head declares. It tempts and hisses and laughs and pushes and Masamune clenches his teeth before resorting to biting his own tongue and bottom lip to have the temptation retreat for the moment. It's absolutely important, but to tell explain properly is basically screwing himself over. Being worried about what relationships he already knows of or that Kojuro's already here or anything like that pretty damn important to Masamune.

But, he's now become stuck between validating the importance at the sacrifice of negating the very reason it was important to begin with.

Shit.

(As for his claws, like he will ever leave his room again without them knowing that the other is here. This is bullshit--)

"...Are you basically telling me how asinine these bastards are, but its not so bad because you're OK with them?"

"No. I'm saying these people have an amazing amount of hubris for the power that they command. They're willing to alter all of time and space in order to achieve their goals for no other reason than some lofty idea that they're going to make things better, but what is better, One-Eyed ... ah, I'm sorry... what is better, Masamune?"

Hisahide does not wait for the young man to explain what he believes if the "better" timeline. "If Nobunaga did not attempt to take control of the entire country, none of the others would unite to fight him. You would not have met or done any of the things you had. In fact, with your desire to reach for the sky... you could have become the Demon King." He chuckles. What a hilarious thought. "Nobunaga is an evil man. He gave up his humanity in order to achieve what he needed to... do you understand his thinking at all? No, you can't."

His hand rests on his own hip as he leans forward just enough to appear as though he is bowing. "After all, it appears as though these people gave you one of the Tiger Cub's cherished possessions." A huffed laugh. "That's very sweet. And you would not have that sentimentality if not for Nobunaga. And so I wonder what these people think is the right timeline. A time where he never decided to give up his humanity. I knew him back then." A beat. "He was very boring."

No, he does not mind or care what his words may do to the other. Why should he? His opinion has been asked and so he is giving it.

Masamune furrows his brow as he listens and, of course, he catches that refusal to address him as a dragon. It makes his fingers twitch terribly, and they itch like they haven't in some time for the swords that are currently not at his disposal. It's amazing how easily one personal can twist an entire mindset to the other side. Whereas he came here mostly not even thinking on whether or not he had his six, now all be can think is how they aren't there and his hands feel bare without them.

Shit.

There is a slight stiffening at the older man's observation and immediately one hand comes to curl around the six coins almost defensively. That wasn't for Matsunaga to notice. That wasn't for anyone to notice.

( He's already getting taken in circles by this conversation alone; he never intended to have it and yet somehow the other has dragged him in anyway, and, thus, he feels a need to counter in any way possible. )

"Then it's a good thing they aren't screwing with our timelines." He's fine with this one; even with all the shit that didn't go right and the losses suffered, he doesn't like thinking on the possibility of his fundamental world changing. It's absolutely true that they all became as they did due to Nobunaga.

In fact, Matsunaga's observations are sound—It's just the fact it's Matsunaga saying it that makes it difficult to stomach.

"Some of that is just horse shit," he sneers-- in particularly, about the potential in a timeline that he could have become what Nobunaga did. "Besides, these timelines we go to seem more screwed regardless than having any hopes whether we interfere or not."

What is Masamune engaging in this topic for, suddenly? He doesn't know, but it all stems from a constant feeling of being defensive of their own timeline; that Matsunaga would bring it up so casually and how it could well fall apart to people like this.

Hisahide { backdated: 03-07 } ((((；゜Д゜)))

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Motochika & Olivia (+ Gintoki later) {backdated: 03-10} (*｀▽´)_旦

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Kojuro { 3/14 } (๑•﹏•)

Re: Kojuro { 3/14 } (๑•﹏•)

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