It fascinates Yuuto what a person can get used to in a short amount of time. Like the sleeping Hosts. The creeping fungus everywhere. The ruined state of the city. Flickering lights. Cold. Voices in one's head. Emotional connection felt within one's mind first. On and on.
People - not just humanity as not just humanity is present - can adapt to so much. However, they also refuse to go with the flow which means all their adaption adds a level of stress on them that they don't even know.
Humming along, he lets these thoughts flow through him. He loosens the grip on the hand-made dagger in his hand. It has quite a bit of Jinx-creativity upon it, but the blade itself is sharp which is the most important.
Yuuto stops as soon as he sees the person he's come to meet. It's in acknowledgement; his head bowing low in something like reverence, something like politeness. His head lifts before he picks up pace to close the distance. ]
Thank you so much for meeting with me, Kamui. [ His eyes roll up. Should he call him "Kamui-kun?" He feels his smile strain as he can't say that sounds right. In fact, it sounds very wrong in his head. Incorrect buzzer.
But his expression softens in sympathy. I'm sorry. Kamui is Kamui. But I'm sure people will treat you like "you." ]
[ if he's honest, kamui still isn't sure what to make of yuuto. on top of that, he's not sure what to make of this place in general. the push of voices, of feelings, the murmur. an undercurrent wholly unlike the one he experiences in a doomed tokyo. and yet. it reminds him of it. not just the city aspect but its utter ruin. dreams. nightmares. the unending song of something lost.
covering his mouth as he coughs, waiting, kamui waits for the fit to pass before slowly lowering it. blood, at this point, he expects, and without thinking about it...he licks it back up. cleaning himself. he only realizes what he's doing after it's done, feels a bit sick about it, then tells himself to be calm. at this point he's shifted between the body he knows and the 'new' one that's also him, and been caught in-between enough to recognize it's due to that.
sighing, his head jerks up at the sound of the other's voice, startled. he can hear much better than he normally could before, so it's abnormal at this point to be surprised like that, except for when he's spacing out. but this latter seems to happen a lot lately. he lowers his head briefly in responding and equal respect, mostly because it feels weird not to at least try, even if a subconscious part of him remains on edge. ]
You don't have to thank me for it...if I didn't want to, I wouldn't have.
[ and that's that, sort of. cat. adolescent. whatever. messiah or no. failed messiah. not here anyway. a moot point. but it wears kamui like some kind of inextricable soul-shadow. the idea of what he has to return back to convoluted by what is known here, and what isn't. he tilts his head, waiting for yuuto to further explain or say something, absently rubbing the remnant pink off of his palm on his thankfully black pants. ]
If you don't want to do anything here, you don't have to.
[ It's something that should be reiterated; it's something he hopes that Kamui will be able to take solace in.
And Yuuto casually tries to ignore what is going on with him. If it's something he should worry about, Kamui will presumably let him know? But maybe not? Kamui has also been someone who can heal extraordinarily well, right?
He rests his hand on the back of his neck and furiously rubs the back of his hair. ]
Colds are dangerous things. So please be careful.
[ Indeed, what is afflicting him is probably much worse than a cold, but he decides to approach it on that front. ]
Also! [ Moving on! Moving on! ] I'm sure you've seen how dangerous things are. So, I wanted to ensure that you have some protection. [ Producing the dagger, he shifts to hold it in both hands. With a gentle gesture, he holds the weapon out and bows his head low.
Like he's presenting a business card to a high-ranking CEO.
[ there is still so much kamui doesn't know or understand about this place, and so too does not trust. it puts him in a strange crossroads of being prone to wanting to trust and then remembering better of it, when it's someone from his own 'world'. in the midst of clearing his throat -- futile, so more like swallowing it down --, he blinks not unlike a cat at yuuto's caution. then again, caelus had said something similar, and some of the others he had encountered when even fully in cat form. having witnessed the tunnels and even gotten some lay of this land, kamui supposes it is all warranted. at home, a trip to the pharmacy, assuming it's in one piece, can be all he needs if that, given over to that quick healing his body is predisposed to. but here...well he's not sure. it's not quite the same, but there is something, even if he has no clear notion of what 'it' is. the illness of something half-requited being more damning nearly than wholly unrequited, trying to root and grow and bloom in his lungs is, however, separate from any propensity for healing. love isn't physical anyway at its most poisonous and also most blessed form; it never is.
not that kamui knows that's what that is either!
a veritable smorgasbord of absence.
doing one's best may not be enough here and probably wasn't at home either.
a feeling throughout wakening here of loss and a weight of it presses down on the edges of kamui's thoughts and emotions, but in this moment it's enough to focus on the immediate. yuuto. the gift he presents. a floating sort of politeness kamui feels prod at something anxious in him though he cannot pinpoint precisely why. he blinks again, hesitating. ]
What about you? Do you also have...something to protect yourself with?
[ even as he asks, he accepts the dagger mostly to inspect it, eying the make. it doesn't feel like something anybody would just 'find' in this ruined city. ]
[ He hums at the thoughtful question. Does he have something to protect himself with? His long legs to run away? The goodwill of others that want to look after a wayward person like himself? ]
I do.
[ It is best to answer it easily than anything else.
Pulling his hands back, he holds them behind his back as he tilts side-to-side as he watches Kamui look the dagger over. It certainly is a colorful piece of equipment, but that is because of the maker rather than any request of his. ]
Ah - the young miss who made that might have some funny ideas that we're in some romantic relationship. [ His tone remains casual as he lightly shrugs his shoulders before dipping his head in apology. ] So, if you happen to meet her and she mentions it, please don't worry too much about it.
[ colorful, yes. the weight of it is also good, feels comfortable in his hands, more so than the holy sword he views with more reticence than acceptance even on the most dedicated of moments. a moot point here, somehow, and yet it can never be; to disconnect kamui from the kamui from that which was foreordained is
impossible.
the weight of those who have died, the weight of his own uselessness. cling as shadows and sometimes, since waking here kamui feels as if the pressures have voices too. but then it's also confusing since his sense of hearing is so sharp now he hears things from all over the place, making it hard to focus, much less pinpoint what is real.
in front of him now, yuuto, is real. the dagger in hand, this too is real.
he's about to thank him again however confusedly, when yuuto beats him to speaking and...
...?
first: soft pink tips of ears. then. cheeks. a barely parted mouth: oh.
huh.
hey what???
his head tilts. ]
Wh-
[ a cough, quickly muffled, he clears his throat. his lower lip stays smudged with blood. ]
- why would she think that?
[ for what it is worth, kamui doesn't seem upset or offended. just confused, and with a tone of voice where it suggests he's rather sure he must have completely misheard yuuto. is it because of the gift? ]
[ Yuuto decides not to mention how Kamui looks at the moment. He does let out a very soft laugh at how red his face and ears are - that is endearing. Immediately, he can understand why those under his charge would die for him.
He lets out another soft ha-ha, as he makes his little jokes to himself. ]
I'm not sure.
[ His shoulders give a quick shrug. ] To correct that belief like that might end up sounding like too much denial, I figured that the matter will solve itself since we don't have that kind of relationship. [ He holds his hands up in surrender. ]
If you say so... [ the way kamui trails off says he's not really sure even more so than the actual words might, but then he goes back to staring at the dagger in his hands, examining it thoughtfully.
as he turns it over in his hand again, though he does not raise his head, maybe even his preceding silence is enough to draw focus as he asks, quietly, ]
Do you also have something? ...to protect yourself with, I mean.
[ if they were at home, kamui himself would have little to no need of a dagger in lieu of everything else. but they aren't, not remotely, and even those he's met who also would have abilities don't seem to or they've been muted to a point beyond recognition. for kamui, in their places: enhanced hearing and vision and speed, a hyper-sensitized sense of touch and taste. but so far none of these has come much in handy, save some brief warning signs in the tunnels. ]
[ Letting out another "ha-ha," he does believe that is something that he protects himself with if pressed. ]
But also blood magic.
[ Rolling his sleeve up, he shows the intricate markings (more like scars all along his skin). Turning it over, he allows for Kamui to look at what he has. ] It is what Sleep gifted me as soon as I woke up in this place. I'm learning a lot on rituals and the like from my betters, but I'm doing all right.
[ Smash-cut to weeks later, he'll be lying face down somewhere, anemic, exhausted, and wishing he hadn't spoken so big about anything. But he will be alive - so maybe he should try boasting more often. ]
Kamui, it is truly none of my business, but you can live a little freer here. [ A beat. ] I just also want you to be safe as you're living freely. [ Because his new coworker probably would try to do something to save him. ]
[ yuuto's response has kamui staring, mouth slightly open 'oh' before he catches himself, a bit abashed and just offers a smile...that also falters at the mention of the blood magic. it goes from faltering to a slight tightness at his mouth, not quite a frown but nearing that. his brow knits as he takes an unconscious step closer, hand raised before he realizes that's probably overstepping. he lowers it. ]
That seems...dangerous. But I guess we have to work with what we have.
[ blood magic. enhanced speed and sight and hearing, occasional claws. his teeth, a bit too sharp for the norm, worry his lower lip at the next thing yuuto says. freer? how? but the matter of safety has his expression opening up again, violet eyes wider. ]
Everyone is as safe as they can be, I think. I don't know if it's more dangerous here or ...
[ 'home'. he can't quite say it out loud. he adjusts the dagger in his hand. certainly lighter than a sword. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
late january.
It fascinates Yuuto what a person can get used to in a short amount of time. Like the sleeping Hosts. The creeping fungus everywhere. The ruined state of the city. Flickering lights. Cold. Voices in one's head. Emotional connection felt within one's mind first. On and on.
People - not just humanity as not just humanity is present - can adapt to so much. However, they also refuse to go with the flow which means all their adaption adds a level of stress on them that they don't even know.
Humming along, he lets these thoughts flow through him. He loosens the grip on the hand-made dagger in his hand. It has quite a bit of Jinx-creativity upon it, but the blade itself is sharp which is the most important.
Yuuto stops as soon as he sees the person he's come to meet. It's in acknowledgement; his head bowing low in something like reverence, something like politeness. His head lifts before he picks up pace to close the distance. ]
Thank you so much for meeting with me, Kamui. [ His eyes roll up. Should he call him "Kamui-kun?" He feels his smile strain as he can't say that sounds right. In fact, it sounds very wrong in his head. Incorrect buzzer.
But his expression softens in sympathy. I'm sorry. Kamui is Kamui. But I'm sure people will treat you like "you." ]
no subject
covering his mouth as he coughs, waiting, kamui waits for the fit to pass before slowly lowering it. blood, at this point, he expects, and without thinking about it...he licks it back up. cleaning himself. he only realizes what he's doing after it's done, feels a bit sick about it, then tells himself to be calm. at this point he's shifted between the body he knows and the 'new' one that's also him, and been caught in-between enough to recognize it's due to that.
sighing, his head jerks up at the sound of the other's voice, startled. he can hear much better than he normally could before, so it's abnormal at this point to be surprised like that, except for when he's spacing out. but this latter seems to happen a lot lately. he lowers his head briefly in responding and equal respect, mostly because it feels weird not to at least try, even if a subconscious part of him remains on edge. ]
You don't have to thank me for it...if I didn't want to, I wouldn't have.
[ and that's that, sort of. cat. adolescent. whatever. messiah or no. failed messiah. not here anyway. a moot point. but it wears kamui like some kind of inextricable soul-shadow. the idea of what he has to return back to convoluted by what is known here, and what isn't. he tilts his head, waiting for yuuto to further explain or say something, absently rubbing the remnant pink off of his palm on his thankfully black pants. ]
no subject
[ A chiming reply back. ]
If you don't want to do anything here, you don't have to.
[ It's something that should be reiterated; it's something he hopes that Kamui will be able to take solace in.
And Yuuto casually tries to ignore what is going on with him. If it's something he should worry about, Kamui will presumably let him know? But maybe not? Kamui has also been someone who can heal extraordinarily well, right?
He rests his hand on the back of his neck and furiously rubs the back of his hair. ]
Colds are dangerous things. So please be careful.
[ Indeed, what is afflicting him is probably much worse than a cold, but he decides to approach it on that front. ]
Also! [ Moving on! Moving on! ] I'm sure you've seen how dangerous things are. So, I wanted to ensure that you have some protection. [ Producing the dagger, he shifts to hold it in both hands. With a gentle gesture, he holds the weapon out and bows his head low.
Like he's presenting a business card to a high-ranking CEO.
Guess it is something like that? ]
no subject
not that kamui knows that's what that is either!
a veritable smorgasbord of absence.
doing one's best may not be enough here and probably wasn't at home either.
a feeling throughout wakening here of loss and a weight of it presses down on the edges of kamui's thoughts and emotions, but in this moment it's enough to focus on the immediate. yuuto. the gift he presents. a floating sort of politeness kamui feels prod at something anxious in him though he cannot pinpoint precisely why. he blinks again, hesitating. ]
What about you? Do you also have...something to protect yourself with?
[ even as he asks, he accepts the dagger mostly to inspect it, eying the make. it doesn't feel like something anybody would just 'find' in this ruined city. ]
no subject
[ He hums at the thoughtful question. Does he have something to protect himself with? His long legs to run away? The goodwill of others that want to look after a wayward person like himself? ]
I do.
[ It is best to answer it easily than anything else.
Pulling his hands back, he holds them behind his back as he tilts side-to-side as he watches Kamui look the dagger over. It certainly is a colorful piece of equipment, but that is because of the maker rather than any request of his. ]
Ah - the young miss who made that might have some funny ideas that we're in some romantic relationship. [ His tone remains casual as he lightly shrugs his shoulders before dipping his head in apology. ] So, if you happen to meet her and she mentions it, please don't worry too much about it.
[ A soft laugh. ] Just thought I should warn you.
no subject
impossible.
the weight of those who have died, the weight of his own uselessness. cling as shadows and sometimes, since waking here kamui feels as if the pressures have voices too. but then it's also confusing since his sense of hearing is so sharp now he hears things from all over the place, making it hard to focus, much less pinpoint what is real.
in front of him now, yuuto, is real. the dagger in hand, this too is real.
he's about to thank him again however confusedly, when yuuto beats him to speaking and...
...?
first: soft pink tips of ears. then. cheeks. a barely parted mouth: oh.
huh.
hey what???
his head tilts. ]
Wh-
[ a cough, quickly muffled, he clears his throat. his lower lip stays smudged with blood. ]
- why would she think that?
[ for what it is worth, kamui doesn't seem upset or offended. just confused, and with a tone of voice where it suggests he's rather sure he must have completely misheard yuuto. is it because of the gift? ]
no subject
[ Yuuto decides not to mention how Kamui looks at the moment. He does let out a very soft laugh at how red his face and ears are - that is endearing. Immediately, he can understand why those under his charge would die for him.
He lets out another soft ha-ha, as he makes his little jokes to himself. ]
I'm not sure.
[ His shoulders give a quick shrug. ] To correct that belief like that might end up sounding like too much denial, I figured that the matter will solve itself since we don't have that kind of relationship. [ He holds his hands up in surrender. ]
Please don't let it bother you.
no subject
as he turns it over in his hand again, though he does not raise his head, maybe even his preceding silence is enough to draw focus as he asks, quietly, ]
Do you also have something? ...to protect yourself with, I mean.
[ if they were at home, kamui himself would have little to no need of a dagger in lieu of everything else. but they aren't, not remotely, and even those he's met who also would have abilities don't seem to or they've been muted to a point beyond recognition. for kamui, in their places: enhanced hearing and vision and speed, a hyper-sensitized sense of touch and taste. but so far none of these has come much in handy, save some brief warning signs in the tunnels. ]
no subject
[ Letting out another "ha-ha," he does believe that is something that he protects himself with if pressed. ]
But also blood magic.
[ Rolling his sleeve up, he shows the intricate markings (more like scars all along his skin). Turning it over, he allows for Kamui to look at what he has. ] It is what Sleep gifted me as soon as I woke up in this place. I'm learning a lot on rituals and the like from my betters, but I'm doing all right.
[ Smash-cut to weeks later, he'll be lying face down somewhere, anemic, exhausted, and wishing he hadn't spoken so big about anything. But he will be alive - so maybe he should try boasting more often. ]
Kamui, it is truly none of my business, but you can live a little freer here. [ A beat. ] I just also want you to be safe as you're living freely. [ Because his new coworker probably would try to do something to save him. ]
no subject
That seems...dangerous. But I guess we have to work with what we have.
[ blood magic. enhanced speed and sight and hearing, occasional claws. his teeth, a bit too sharp for the norm, worry his lower lip at the next thing yuuto says. freer? how? but the matter of safety has his expression opening up again, violet eyes wider. ]
Everyone is as safe as they can be, I think. I don't know if it's more dangerous here or ...
[ 'home'. he can't quite say it out loud. he adjusts the dagger in his hand. certainly lighter than a sword. ]