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waitingforplayer2
recuttal - i have now completed the inbox the loop [late April]knifemonopoly - action, late May, around carnival timedarlingdraculina - [5-20: Arcade]softspokenlandlord - After Reira's Party, at the Arcadependulumentertainment - Early June- Feeding time for boyheyunderoos - <P.B.P> mid-julyfiglia_morbida - Between July 9th and 13thleggierissimo - <Composing> forward dated to 7/25heyunderoos - <P.B.P> early augustknifemonopoly - Action, 8/6, August arrivals red pill aftermath!toaflame - Big Cat Delivery | Sometime between the intro and modplotsoundsurfing - from the 17th onheyunderoos - <P.B.P> 1/3soundsurfing - backdated to the 8thswashgrappling - early septheyunderoos - Oct 31stsoundsurfing - The day after the deed (he needed a day to process and scream)figlia_morbida - <Zigazigah>knifemonopoly - 11/4, 38-8assblasted - A few days post Felfririproduzione - flies in heretelewarped - action, backdated to 11/1northeworld - <ReflectedStorm>knifemonopoly - (no subject)softspokenlandlord - 11/10, late night seems about rightregna
i have now completed the inbox the loop [late April]
Date: 2022-04-28 11:55 pm (UTC)The phrase gave him less and less confidence every time he tried to tell himself. But he kept walking to the arcade anyway, stopping at the burger place Komaeda had shown him when they were both still human-- and one that served food for humans, obviously. He didn't really feel hungry, even aside from the usual monster circumstances, but-- well, maybe he just needed to busy himself, or maybe he was just stalling.
He'd felt vastly less lonely when he'd gone there, last time.
But he shows up anyway, walking into the arcade with the bag of burgers and fries in his hand, his red eye hidden behind his sweater as it floated in his chest. Maybe that was a bit disingenuous, but his tentacles were already hanging in his face, despite his best attempts to brush them aside.]
H-Hey... I'm here. [He places the bag on top of one of the game tables, though his eye is still pretty dodgy about contact.]
the ritual has been completed
Date: 2022-04-29 12:14 am (UTC)That's what she's busying herself with, anyway. Uneasy and complicated emotions about the whole kaiju / battle royale / etc situation from the last week have persisted for days now. She thought some time away from everybody, sleeping during the day and coming to the arcade at night, might give her some time to think things through. Instead it's just isolated her, and she's felt worse the longer it's gone on, frustrated at herself for not being able to get over it already.
And now she can't imagine what Hinata would want to talk about, but he sounded distraught. The shade's prediction from before the whole mess floats around in her mind... she's not sure how much stock to put in those sorts of things, but she can't quite forget it, either.
She's lost in her thoughts when Hinata sets the bag down-- she didn't even hear him come in. She stands up quickly-- but now she just feels awkward, standing next to the torn-apart arcade machine with a screwdriver in her gloved hands. ]
Hey... [ Oh! The food he'd mentioned. ] Ah! Thank you-- can I make you some tea or something? There's a pot of coffee, too...
[ Her nocturnal night patterns did require a bit of chemical convincing in order to really stick, after all. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-04-29 03:49 am (UTC)Oh... sure. Coffee's fine. [He didn't have much of a mind to drink or enjoy anyway, but-- he didn't want to be rude. And, he really just isn't thinking about his response.]
Um-- sorry for interrupting. I didn't mean to take you away from your project. [She'd gotten really into fiddling with the arcade cabinets, it seemed...!]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-04-29 03:59 am (UTC)I don't mind! It's nice having the company. [ Her hands are shaking only a little bit as she's preparing the mug - normal now, in the last week - but she manages to steady them by the time she's brought the mug over to him, so that he won't notice. ]
Are you... doing okay? [ It seems like such a pointless question, in a place such as this. But she doesn't know what else to ask, and she's worried about him. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-04-29 05:15 am (UTC)Thanks.. [He accepts the mug with a nod, at least, holding it between both hands as he mindlessly sat down at the table he'd stopped at.] Yeah, I'm fine. That sort of stuff...
[Not that bad. Which... of course, that was the problem, wasn't it.]
...A lot's changed since the last time we met at the fountain. Since that day in the maze under the school... I think for me that was a few years ago.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-04-29 05:49 am (UTC)I... that long? [ She's surprised, but she supposes she never actually asked. She just presumed that Hinata and Souda had arrived here soon after making it out of the dungeon alive.
She wants to ask him about the future, but something more pressing comes to mind. In the moment, it had merely seemed like Hinata had transformed twice within the space of a few hours - but that would be forgetting something really crucial from that whole series of events. ]
Something happened to you down there, didn't it? [ She looks at her mug, staring at her reflection. She hasn't changed much since that day - yet - but she can't forget how different he looked, how differently he'd spoken, and what he'd said to her. ]
You said you couldn't remember who you were before... you didn't remember me. [ She finally looks back to him with concern. ]
What... happened to you, Hinata-kun?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-04-29 07:16 am (UTC)When his surprise fades, he seems to visibly wilt-- or melt?-- a little, his visible eye staring at the surface of his own coffee, though unlike her he barely processes his reflection. He hadn't had an appetite coming in here, but he sure didn't now. His mouth draws into a terse line.]
...No. It was... before I ever found out that place existed, down there. I volunteered for something called the Kamukura Project. Hope's Peak Academy studied as many talents as possible so they could consolidate all the skill and knowledge into one person. To be the beacon of hope for the future of the world. [He can recite the byline by heart, at least.]
It, uh... it took a l-long time. [His eyes dart away, as though he could get away with just... implying, what his part in the project had been.] So it's n-not like there was... there was any time for a haircut...
(no subject)
Date: 2022-04-29 07:50 am (UTC)[ She'd thought of that last day by the fountain for months and months, and now she feels even worse. He'd been distraught, she'd wondered if she could have made things better by saying the right thing; maybe after a year of experience with her class she might have known the right thing--
And now, knowing that he had joined a project to get talent, when she'd already been starting to learn about the problems with talent... she should have spoken up.
And she sees the way he melts a little, goes shifty, and it hurts. Because she's seen that reaction in Mikan, in Souda, in so many of her classmates when they opened up about certain parts of their lives.
Whatever happened, it hurt him. ]
So many talents... that really changed you, huh? [ He'd been the same person deep down, the whole time, she was pretty sure.
But still... he'd been unable to remember anything. And then he'd just watched her as she...
She swallows. ]
Do you still have them?
cw: mentions of memory manipulation and ideation if you squint
Date: 2022-04-29 08:41 am (UTC)That's how I can help Souda at his garage, and cook at the Lucky 38. My roommate even asked me to help him learn how to sing, and I can balance the books for the arcade, too.
[He darts his eye the other way, looking at the disassembled Rampage cabinet.] When I came in I just thought about how many wires hook up to the motherboard, and the route of the power cord to the processor... it's a lot less efficient than the personal computers a few years later, but they have more storage than old home game consoles, which is why they didn't usually have the password system and could keep a leaderboard.
[After that whole-- thing with the network, it just makes him feel self-conscious, rattling all the facts that drifted into the space of his thoughts when he saw something he understood. But this time he just lets the thought flow, academic and textbook, and unlike Hinata's usually rough or hesitant way of speaking.
He looks back at his drink, and his mouth hangs open for a moment, before the next thought comes out:] With all that, there's no need for some high school kid's memories. It's easier for e-everyone without him.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-04-29 09:06 am (UTC)You have mine too...
[ How many dozens of talents are at Hope's Peak? Can he really have all of them, including her classmates'?
But what he says next shocks her out of her wandering thoughts. ]
You're wrong, Hinata-kun. [ She reaches across the table and gently places a hand on top of his. ] I...
[ She hesitates. How does she explain this in a way that makes sense, that doesn't seem too strange? ]
School was... hard, sometimes. [ Almost every day, especially as she was given more and more responsibilities... finding your purpose was supposed to make things easier, but for Nanami that hadn't really been the case. ] But... there was always games with you to look forward to.
[ "You have many other good points, too." She'd thought about that so many times. He'd recognized something in her that even she hadn't, before he'd left. ]
So... for me, it was easier with you. And... I think Souda-kun would agree with me, now that he knows you. And Ikusaba-san, and... and everyone.
[ A small smile. ] You have a lot of good points, too.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-04-29 11:51 am (UTC)[That's about as much as he says, the slightest confirmation that he did indeed have hers as well. It felt weird, still, as though the Steering Committee had made him as a replacement. Souda had worded it in a way that was... awkward, because it was Souda, but it'd still made him feel better; like is was something like a connection, instead of a threat or an imitation.
But he startles at the touch, the surface of his mass rippling with jitters under her hand. It wasn't exactly the same certainty he'd had ever other time she touched him, but it gets him to finally look up at her again.]
That's not...
[That's not-- fair. That's not right. Even if he'd never been properly part of the Main Course, he had an idea how hard it was being a student there. He'd always wondered a bit if Nanami had resented her own skill, after the unkind way she'd spoken about that talent. He'd known she was someone else looking for an escape, finding it in buttons and pixels, just like the others found their own escape in food, or machines, or photos. And he'd learned how right she was; how much more valuable people were than their talents. There had been enthusiasm behind her timidity, and a clear compassion that had drawn a class of misfits and disasters together, and certainly none of that had come simply from being the Ultimate Gamer.
A lot of good points. He couldn't help but wonder. But it makes his chest bubble and ache, as though there was a still a heart beating. What was the point of making things easier if he'd just ended up betraying her in the end?
Hinata ends up sliding his hand out from under hers, taking it back to his person as he reached into his own chest, as though digging up the red eye from its hiding place.]
After the Project I didn't know who I was anymore. Everything felt pointless. Predictable. Enoshima-- that girl with the cruel smile... She and I did a lot of unforgivable things. Killed a lot of people. Destroyed thousands more lives than that. And always in whatever way made it hurt the most.
[He lifted his own core in his hand, the red of the iris shining under the arcade lights, undeniable proof of who he'd been and what he'd done. His voice now soft and resigned, his pupil unseeing like it was just a mass of nonspecific cells. He wouldn't tell her everything Despair had done, not without Souda and Komaeda getting to say their piece-- but he could at least start with his own long list of misdeeds.]
That me in that arena wasn't that different from who I really am. Killing, maiming, plotting their deaths and twisting the knife... When I got angry and killed those things, that was me, too. It's why a place like this isn't so hard, for me.
[Without a doubt, the world they'd left behind was much better off without them.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-04-29 07:11 pm (UTC)The more he says, the sicker she feels. As she stares into his red core, she sees her own red blood smeared across a monitor screen; the blood of countless nameless people she's never met - all the way to the red blood of the Producers, smearing across Hinata's frame before being absorbed into his body.
How does she begin to reconcile all of that with the gentle friend she's known? The one who's helped her time and again, who even now is nervously opening up to her in the quiet dark of the arcade?
She closes her eyes and thinks. This is just a puzzle. She's good at those. She pieces together everything she's said in her mind, and something sticks out. ]
You were hurting a lot, weren't you? [ She keeps coming back to that. Even when they were in the TV world-- his reaction was scary, monstrous even, but it didn't come from malice. It came from pain. Pain that even she's been feeling for the last week, shaky as she's been, isolating from the people she cared about while she tried to figure out how to keep from hurting them, any more than she already had. ]
Even if-- what you did was terrible... [ She opens her eyes again, but averts her gaze. She hates what she's about to say. ]
I think I understand, a little bit.
[ The pull of what she'll become, maybe in just a few days, gnaws at her mind. The unanswered questions about her time in the arena. But even before that...
If she'd been granted extraordinary abilities, to protect her friends and destroy the mastermind at Hope's Peak - can she really say that she would have been any better? ]
cw: dissociation vibes (tm)
Date: 2022-04-30 01:28 am (UTC)I-I... [He looks at her again, though this time when his eye falls, it's not intentional. The next part just sort of slips out.] I couldn't feel a-any kind of hurt. It felt like everything was underwater. Like I couldn't feel anything except waves crashing against me. At least in the TV world I could s-still feel angry.
[His entire body tenses, and eventually his hand moves and forms around his core, bringing it back to stick it in its proper position in his head. He blinks.]
...You... [His mind feels slower, trying to think of what to say-- to think that Nanami could've understood. He places his hand back down on the table.]
What... would you have done? If you could...?
[It's not accusatory, just... inquisitive. Soft, and sympathetic, even if he doesn't know what the answer is.]
cw: homicidal ideation, references to parental & systemic abuse, dissociation, PTSD
Date: 2022-04-30 01:52 am (UTC)But the answer is painfully terribly clear. ]
I just wanted her-- gone. [ She squeezes her eyes shut. ] I h-hated what she was doing to all of us, to sensei, to--
[ She sees her grin in her nightmares every night. She wants it out of her head but she don't know if it will ever leave.
She tries to breathe evenly. ] A-and when I hear how-- horrible the school was to you, and to Ikusaba-san, and... and Souda's dad, and-- n-nobody... deserves any of that! They just don't!
[ It all just spills out, a torrent of emotion and pain twisted into the love she can't stop feeling. She's covering her face with her hands, feeling so ashamed at these feelings. ]
And-- [ She gulps. ] And I know I could, because-- the arena, the kaiju, I know-- I know that wasn't me, but-- but I also don't know it wasn't me, it-- it came from somewhere, you know? It was a me.
[ She's been lonely like the girl in the arena. She's been possessive like the monster in the city. It might have been a script - but it was far too familiar. ]
When I have to-- to kill people, here... [ She swallows. ]
I don't-- I don't want to. But I think I'm going to be able to.
cw: murder, mass violence, references to abuse
Date: 2022-04-30 04:21 am (UTC)[Her reaction makes him worry-- not because of what she says. How easy she thinks she could do it, the anger that feels like it's gonna rip you apart from the inside after having to face the world's unfeeling malice, that feeling of something you know isn't you, but knowing it comes from some fucked up place inside you...
For a moment, he feels like he can see too much of himself in her. And he wonders, idly, if that's the way Junko always worked her magic. But that can be set aside, because what worries him most is how much it's twisted her up inside.
He lifts his hands as though to do something when she curls in on herself, though he's-- not really sure what. But when he finally starts moving again, he abandons his coffee on the table, pulling his chair around to sit next to her, instead of across. His hand hangs awkwardly in the air, but-- he slowly brings it down to gently rest on her shoulder, a few tendrils falling close to the same spot without him noticing.]
It's okay. It's the same with any of us... w-with-- me. It's like everything around us wants to beat you down to accept their cruelty. The only way to make them stop was... to make sure they can't do it again.
[Souda's dad. Tsumiki and Kuzuryuu's family. Saionji, Owari... every person that had made them suffer, every cop and politician and authority, every single shred of what was left of Hope's Peak Academy and the world that let them exist.]
At the time, we took it far... but I don't think it's wrong to feel that way. You can f-feel it because you feel so strongly for the ones you care about. I don't think that kind of person is very common.
So I... I get it. Please, don't give yourself grief over wanting to pay back the people that don't even care what happens to you.
cw: internalized victim-blaming, dissociation
Date: 2022-04-30 05:17 am (UTC)She'd been waiting for weeks for the fog to change her, but she didn't need to wait. She's changed all on her own.
And then there's a soft hand on her shoulder, and tendrils too, and she finally looks up, her face stained with tears, and he's there, looking at her with concern, and he doesn't-- he doesn't hate her. He doesn't look at her with disgust.
His words are actually incredibly soothing. Before she knows it, listening to him, she's breathing easier again, her shaking is slowing. ]
I-it's-- wrong. ... of me. [ She stares into her coffee again, unseeingly. ] I-- shouldn't, feel-- this way.
[ She doesn't want to judge anyone else, not when she can't really know their pain, only guess and empathize with it as best she can. Hinata doesn't deserve her judgement (even if she was inclined to do so), but neither does the mastermind-- neither does Hope's Peak-- everybody was just trying their best, right? ]
Nobody... deserves to die... those feelings are, I-- need to be... better.
[ Does she even believe that, or is it just what she's been told? If she answers that, won't that just make her even more of the monster she's already becoming? ]
cw: kind of despair ideology i think that should be a content warning tbh
Date: 2022-04-30 08:52 am (UTC)[His frown is heavy, though still somehow more of a pout. Maybe he just wasn't very good at looking intimidating, but there was still a bit of bitterness in the back of his words.]
We're... trying to do better. Less violent... Less destructive. [He takes his hand back, fiddling with the sleeve of his sweater on his opposite arm as that hand retreated inside.] But that's for us. That's because we wanted a path forward instead of still circling the drain, to atone for what we did. Not because... we regretted everything, or because we thought we should be normal people who know better.
[When Nanami's looking up, he holds out the hand covered by the end of his sleeve, gently wiping the tears from her cheeks despite the dark words coming out of his mouth.]
It's the world's cruelty that made us feel that way. It's because... you th-think a bunch of trash like us deserve to be treated better. Things like what we both did in the TV world, I don't like going that far... but I don't think it's wrong to be angry when everyone else isn't even trying to be better.
cw: dissociation city
Date: 2022-04-30 08:08 pm (UTC)[ Her weak protests are silenced by his sweatered hand on her face, wiping away the sadness. She feels hollowed out, empty, like she's let loose dark spirits into the world, and the vessel left behind is cold and useless. ]
Us... ? ... [ He's only mentioned himself and Enoshima, the girl in the monitor, but... even still, she thinks she understands. There's enough pieces to fit that puzzle together, too. She stares distantly at his sweater, still feeling a bit unmoored, but their faces are all so easy to remember. ]
Y-you're not... trash... you all... [ She swallows, still trying to catch her breath. ] I-- I... care about all of you, so much...
[ She doesn't know what to do with all these horrible dark feelings she's unleashed in her heart - but that one thing, she knows more than she knows anything about her own self. She will love her friends until the day she dies for the last time. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-05-01 11:22 am (UTC)We all care about you, too. I know I do. [And he's certain Souda would love to loudly proclaim it, if given the chance. Komaeda too, though he'd probably make it as confusing sounding as possible...
But Hinata can tell how gutted she seemed to be-- honestly, it was kind of his fault for bringing it up, and discussing such terrible things so casually, even if he hadn't meant to be that casual about it. Still, it feels like the least he could do is reassure her... no, it's the least he wants to do. The thought of people being alone with the things that had fucked them all up in the past made him sick, even worse when it was someone who'd been willing to care about him so much to actually get angry on his behalf.]
And no matter what you do here... no matter what feelings you have that you think are terrible or wrong, no matter what you do with it or what you become, you'll still have us. [He smiles, tired though it appears.] I'll always be on your side. Nothing could make me stop caring about you.
[It's more clear-- more sturdy, and sincere, than all the other times he'd promised to help her in the last month, too wreathed in anxiety as he always was. But on this point, he's unwavering.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-05-02 02:39 am (UTC)She leans back in her chair, visibly relaxing, the adrenaline flowing out of her, the shaking actually beginning to subside. Calm-- at least a modicum of it, at least for now.
She can breathe. ]
Th-thank you. [ She's so grateful for him, and she gives him the warmest smile she can muster-- to try to convey that in any way she can. ] I... th-thank you for, understanding. I... I feel the same way, about all of you.
[ She's quiet for a little bit more, just breathing. She rubs her eyes. ]
You... went through so much in ... all that time, huh?... [ Her lost time. The time after she died, and before they both made it here. ] I'm... glad you're all okay, after that.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-05-02 10:50 am (UTC)I'm glad... I-I thought you'd be a lot more upset at me, if I told you about it. [Explaining his earlier anxiety on the way here, at least. In retrospect, maybe him and Souda freaking out really had been silly...
He rubbed the side of his arm, as though wringing out the excess anxiety, before both of his hands fell together in his lap in a way that was almost bashful.]
T-To be honest, a lot of the problems I made for myself... [Example, volunteering for the Kamukura Project. Pretty much everything Ultimate Despair had done, and he'd kind of been the one that snuck AI Junko into the Neo World Program--] But we're okay. I'm... g-getting better, I think. At least better than the way I was in that arena, eheh.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-05-04 03:40 am (UTC)Mm... whether or not you did... [ And she's noticed Hinata's tendency to blame himself quickly, so... she's not totally convinced. ] I'm still glad you came out of it okay, in the end. Ah... I'm curious what happened, but only when you feel like talking about it, okay? It sounds like it was a lot.
[ A sudden realization, and a much wider grin. She actually digs into the bag of (cooling) fast food, since some of the tension in the room has been washed away, and the coffee and emotions have driven up her appetite a bit. ] But I'm so glad you got to meet everyone!! Souda-kun already seems to really like you.
[ He's making fun of Hinata, and that means Souda likes him. She finds the bag of fries and offers Hinata one. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-05-04 07:20 am (UTC)[He felt a little bashful about. "I'm still glad you came out of it okay." But in a good way, another reminder that things would never be like their lowest times before.
But he'd told her about the Kamukura Project... and going into it anymore than that would be pointless. All it would do would inflict her with more heartache for no reason; give her a longer list of things to fuss about, and.. more specifics on the special and unique ways his head was fucked up. The way his and Kamukura's brains worked was best left to himself, after the whole... telepathic network thing. And as for the rest of the Tragedy and Despair...]
Th-The rest isn't really my place to tell. It's Souda and Komaeda's stories too. You sh-should hear about what happened to the rest of the class from them... [He couldn't really bring up the terrorism and world destruction without mentioning them, after all,,] But a-after that I can fill in any other details you want to know.
[Despite the strained look that had come to his face, it eases up again when he reaches out to accept the fry.]
H-He decided we were best friends at some point, and I didn't get that memo at the time. [Though his exasperation is clearly fond.] And Komaeda's just as much to deal with as always... but I don't mind in either case. I don't think I ever could've made it this long without the both of them, or the rest of class 77... I-- [He awkwardly nibbles on the end of the fry.] --I hope that's not weird, f-for you.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-05-09 07:05 am (UTC)I'll talk with them. I hope he wakes up soon...
[ The next part seems to surprise her. The idea of it being weird... a rush of warmth flows through her again. She sets the fries where he can reach them and goes for a burger. ]
It's not weird. I feel the same way about all of them. [ She looks at the burger without eating it yet, just remembering their faces again. Every single one. She'll never forget. ] I don't know how I would have made it through school without them by my side... if they were there for you too, like that...
[ Did they make memories together, like Hinata had once implored her? Did their lives continue happily together, even through turmoil and grief, even after she couldn't be with them anymore? There's an ache in her chest but she thinks it's just love, reaching out across the universes to them. ] Then I'm really glad, that you could be there for each other, like all of you were for me.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-05-13 10:57 am (UTC)But it's a surprise-- though it should stop being a surprise by now, surely-- and still a relief that Nanami doesn't seem to have a problem with it. It feels too easy to see himself as... a replacement, knowing how much the others had cared about her. Even still, his expression is sheepish as he moves to take another fry.]
I-I'm glad...I-I didn't want you to feel like I was trying to replace you, or anything-- [keep the inside thoughts inside hinata]-- but now we can all be there for each other. It's not exactly a peaceful school life... but it's better, in some ways.
[He's-- tentatively-- optimistic!]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-05-14 09:38 pm (UTC)A... replacement? [ She racks her brain, trying to think of how he could be. She supposes that... he became their friend, after she died, but... she thinks that's probably two unrelated things. ]
Mm... [ Another slow bite, while she thinks. ] No... you're friends with them, and I'm friends with them, right? It's nothing like... replacing me. [ A gentle smile. ] It's okay for all of us to care about each other.
[ She hesitates and looks away. ] But... I wish I could be with you all again. I... I miss them.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-05-20 11:17 am (UTC)Still, her answer is a relief. It was something that once again shouldn't have surprised him, but... he knows how it feels to feel like you're irrelevant among your friends, and the reassurance on both sides is still good to have, he thinks. Ah, he hopes?]
Yeah... I know what you mean. [Still, despite all those nice and optimistic affirmations, he frowns along with Nanami's hesitation.] I miss them, too. It feels like there's something... missing.
[It had been the same feeling that had grown heavier, and heavier, every time another one of them were killed or executed on the island. This time it's just... a benign sort of absence-- though it felt a lot like everyone was still stuck in pods again, too. He wagers that's... probably how a lot of them had felt, after Nanami's death.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-05-22 10:23 am (UTC)I know some of them have been here before... [ She doesn't know the entire history of this place, but she's gathered that much at least. Souda mentioned Sonia, and the previous her. ] So maybe I will get to see them again someday. [ She sort of hopes so... but she knows that's selfish to think about.
It's not like she's got a chance to see them again in their world, right? She died, and that was it for her. But with that thought, something else occurs to her, and she looks at Hinata curiously. ]
When you leave here... do you think you'll go back there? Maybe you could ... tell them something for me?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-05-25 10:25 am (UTC)[His expression's still a bit forlorn, though.
Hinata didn't even know if he'd make it back, and the thought sinks the weight through his heart and to his stomach, never being able to go back to his friends on the island again. But Hinata was lucky enough to still be alive in that world-- from what he's heard from others, people don't even go back home when they leave her, but maybe there's a chance far off in the future that people will actually figure it out.
He's not sure he really deserves to go back, anyway, but he still looks at Nanami curiously.] What's that?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-05-28 07:05 am (UTC)She turns it over in her head for a long time. ] I guess... just that I miss them.
And-- and I love them, and I hope they're doing okay without me, and taking care of each other, and...
... a-and maybe I'll think of other things to say, too. [ This is hard.
She takes another bite of her burger to hide her emotions. Totally normal conversation - sending a message to your friends you might never see again, across universes. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-05-28 10:20 am (UTC)It's bittersweet, when she finally comes up with something to say-- there's a sadness to his smile, ruminating on how obvious it was she still cared for them, and knowing in his heart that... if they were sent back to their world one day, she'd still be gone forever.]
I'll tell them. [He chuckles a little, fond despite the touch melancholy.] And if you think of anything else to tell them, you can let me know. I'll be sure to let them know.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-05-31 03:15 am (UTC)[ School days feel so far away now - especially the good ones. Even the ones after he and Nagito left, when she was--
She looks up suddenly. ]
Hinata-kun. You owe me a game!
(no subject)
Date: 2022-06-01 09:18 am (UTC)[He looks up suddenly from where he'd been digging through the fries again.]
I... I guess that's true...
[That was.... kind of the last thing he'd ever said to her back in their world, huh? He tries not to dwell on it.]
...W-What-- like, right now?!
(no subject)
Date: 2022-06-03 06:33 am (UTC)[ She puts down the burger and looks around. The arcade's pretty quiet, but-- she can turn anything on she wants to.
She gets up from where they're sitting and jogs into the back, where she hits the switch that turns on the cabinet's power circuits - as the machines start up, she hurries back out to the front, digging a small sack of tokens out of her pocket. ]
This one doesn't have co-op like the one back home, but we can alternate turns! Come on!
[ And she leads him over to one of the cabinets-- Galaga. Not quite her favorite game - but pretty close. ]
i literally don't have an icon for this expression lol
Date: 2022-06-05 08:57 am (UTC)It quickly silences any words of protest he could've put up. Sure, he'd played it a few times since coming here, just out of nostalgia-- but it's different now, thinking about those sunset-framed afternoons like they were real, playing together despite how much they'd have to restart because he was losing, a few drops from the fountain occasionally escaping the stream.
The smile on his face is different than usual, something warmer, and happier; maybe it's the genuineness that makes it different, or the fact that it's relaxed, without being keyed up for the next possibility.
Hinata gets up from his seat easily, following her over to the machine, making sure his eye was still in place.]
Alright-- but I warn you, I've gotten a lot better...!
;-; hinata
Date: 2022-06-06 06:51 am (UTC)I'll bet we could get to twelve times in a row! Maybe more!! [ She starts up the game and breezes through the first round - she's so excited that she almost loses a life at one point, but she pulls through with a perfect score - and then steps aside to let him play.
She tries not to let her excitement show too much, but she can't help bouncing on her feet a little - this is the first time, in a year or more, that they've been able to play together. And she missed it a lot, and-- she thought she'd run out of chances, but-- he's here, and it's like old times again. ]
action, late May, around carnival time
Date: 2022-05-25 05:01 pm (UTC)He's normally not that attuned to his neighbors, even the ones next door. But this time, Atem smells something different.
He smells blood, and the aftermath of fear.
So, he doesn't even go to the door. He knocks on one of the shared walls, instead.]
Yo! Nanami! You okay?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-05-25 05:06 pm (UTC)Is that... Atem-san?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-05-25 05:09 pm (UTC)[For her, he'll repeat himself. Once again, he calls through the wall:]
I smell blood over there. Smells like yours! You okay?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-05-25 05:14 pm (UTC)It's mine. [ She thinks? She doesn't think Red got bloody, and none of the human viscera was splashed onto Nanami... so yeah, it's probably all hers. ]
Hinata-kun bandaged me up. [ It takes another moment before she realizes how bad that sounds. ] I-I'm okay.
[ Is she? ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-05-25 05:17 pm (UTC)Lucky it happened during a fog...you'll heal up quicker than you would have on a clear day!
[The other concern is:]
What happened?
[Even though it's a concern, Atem's tone is breezy: it's okay, if she doesn't want his help.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-05-25 05:30 pm (UTC)Because she didn't really tell Hinata, even though it was probably pretty clear. She doesn't want the word getting out on this. Not for her sake, but for Red's.
So, sooner than she'd expected, she has to figure out her story. ]
I got-- hurt at the carnival. [ Bits of the truth, hesitantly. ] I messed up, and-- that's what happened. I know better now, I-- think.
[ The small ache in her belly is enough to remind her of that... she swallows. ] That's all.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-05-25 05:49 pm (UTC)It's his turn to be quiet.
He's heard this kind of thing before. Grandpa had heard this kind of thing before.
It reminds him so much...of someone who doesn't want someone else to get in trouble, even if they're the one that's hurt...
When he speaks through the wall again, it's not to pry. It's not to demand the truth, to know who did it, or why Nanami's protecting them.]
Want to play a game?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-05-25 05:51 pm (UTC)Mm! What kind of game?
[ That's the sort of thing that's hard for her to turn down, even if she wanted to. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-05-25 05:56 pm (UTC)...
[He hasn't been to 804 in weeks.
Should he...?]
I'm coming over.
[If her ears are keen, she'll hear his door open and shut...and then a knock on her own.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-05-25 06:01 pm (UTC)Even with her injuries, even with Hinata's insistence that she rest, Nanami jumps to her feet and hurries to the door, opening it for him as he knocks.
She looks both more tired and more jumpy than usual, her head-tentacles less active and more slumped against her head. Every time one of them touches the stumps, she winces. But the two stumps on the left side of her head are heavily bandaged, and her right arm is in a homemade splint. ]
Come in!
(no subject)
Date: 2022-05-25 06:10 pm (UTC)[He looks at her, in the doorway, in the apartment where Yugi used to live. Where Yugi had held him by the hand
(told him "you can just be better")
when he'd been trying to make sense of his terrible mistakes
(but he can't be better than who he is)
told him he was enough how he was
(but he wasn't)
and sees it frame Nanami, instead.]
Thank you.
[Like a snap of a piece into place, like a recalibration of his understood reality...he understands, really understands, that 804 isn't empty anymore.
And the person who's here...belongs here. It's okay, that it isn't empty.]
I don't need to be asked in anymore...but it's always better to have the invitation! Anyway...
[He takes in how she looks.]
Looks like it's got to be a one-handed game. Right?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-05-25 06:21 pm (UTC)I guess so! But I still think it'll be okay!
[ She's good at games, even one-handed. She steps aside to let him in. Then she's going into the kitchen to put a kettle on. ]
I borrowed some from Insert Coin to play with Ken-chan, but I returned most of them... what would you like to play?
[ The living room is fairly sparse, but there's a soft rug and a couch and comfy chair at least, plus a little table for games - a chessboard, a couple decks of cards. The door to Nanami's bedroom stands open from when she ran to let Atem in - the bedroom is also sparse. She doesn't spend much time here. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-05-26 12:56 pm (UTC)Almost.
He can catch just a little bit of what the bedroom above the Kame game shop smelled like, under the scent of octopus and tea and fresh-card-pack.]
You know, the person who lived here before you had something of a collection...I've been looking after it, since he disappeared.
But it's been sitting in storage...he wouldn't have liked that. He'd want them to be played.
[Atem's positive of that. He hasn't shared then with anybody, yet, not even Ryou, but...]
I'm pretty sure at least a few can be played one-handed. Why don't I go get it, and you can pick one from what's there? He had good taste...they're all pretty fun.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-05-30 11:30 pm (UTC)[ She finishes preparing the tea while Atem's away, and she's got two mugs at the table by the time he returns. ]
Did the person who lived here before really play a lot of games, too...?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-05-31 10:45 pm (UTC)He certainly did! His grandfather ran a game shop, so he knew a lot about different kinds of games...
[He picks up the tea mug. Nanami's free to explore the collection: board games, card games, dice games, games of chance, strategy games, dexterity challenges, puzzles...things for one player, two, or more.]
If there's nothing here that looks fun, I've got a small collection of my own. Most of them were gifts from friends...
(no subject)
Date: 2022-06-06 12:34 am (UTC)They all look fun! [ This is a hard choice. She sets aside a puzzle that looks interesting, but probably isn't as fun for two people... and ends up pulling out a strategy game, a name she doesn't recognize, a game that looks colorful and intriguing. ]
This one, but I want to try all of these, I don't recognize some of them.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-06-14 03:12 am (UTC)[He'll open the box, spread the game pieces out, and start setting them up. She's got one arm -- it's only polite! The movements are deft -- this guy's minmaxed for DEX, even with werewolf claws in his way.]
Ryslig's got games I don't know, either...some are unique to this world, and some are kind of like other games, from different places and times...monsters from different worlds than me recognize them.
[Up up up the pieces go, dealt like a hand of cards in a casino. He passes the rulebook to Nanami, to let her read it for herself.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-06-14 08:59 am (UTC)Mm, I recognize a lot of them, especially at the arcade... but there's some that are new.
[ It's a strange life, to be an octo and a jackal playing a game she's never heard of in a sunny apartment room, but not a bad one, she doesn't think, as she starts by taking her turn. ]
But I like pretty much all games, even bad ones.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-06-14 12:24 pm (UTC)[The tone is conversational, idle, kicking around ideas with someone like-minded. The last few pieces are put in place just after he asks: Atem's picked the darkest color to represent himself, a set of pieces of deep indigo.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-06-17 07:44 am (UTC)I think I would start with a game where I'm not having fun, but that doesn't really seem to be right, because some games aren't fun but they're still interesting. So I think actually, a bad game would be something that isn't interesting any more. Like how in Monopoly you'll know who wins really early on, or if there was a game where no matter what you did, you couldn't change anything and the story wasn't interesting.
[ Hmm, she looks at the stack of games but also remembers some of hers from back home and also the arcade's collection. ] I don't think not being able to change the game yourself makes it bad, exactly, because Candy Land is still really fun... but sometimes I'm just not really getting anything out of a game anymore. I'd still play it, though.
[ She brightens, sitting back to wait for him to take his turn. ] Hojo-san actually taught me how to make Monopoly interesting again, though! It's kind of like cheating and kind of like adding new rules, and I guess those can be sort of the same thing sometimes.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-06-20 07:55 pm (UTC)A game that's not fun...that's not interesting...that you aren't getting anything out of anymore, and the outcome is set in stone and unchangeable. Those are good parameters for a "bad" game. He gives a nod, making a good move on his turn, then says, with his chin resting playfully on his hand:]
It's only "cheating" if the new rules aren't agreed on by all players! But what kinds of things can you do to make Monopoly interesting again, when it seems like it's already been decided?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-06-22 07:37 am (UTC)You can make it so that the game is only one step in what you're actually playing. [ Takes another turn, and leans back, imagining it. ] Maybe the game you're actually playing is to see which of your friends is better at lying, and you all keep all of your moves secret and have to guess what you're doing. Maybe the game you're actually playing is to make somebody else get Monopoly instead, so everybody's trying to avoid it.
[ She suddenly sits back up, inspired. ] Or!! Maybe there's an entire secret underground black market, and you have to do all your deals there before you can move up top-- or even go on a dungeon quest-- you could bring Dungeons and Dragons into it too! You could combine games!
(no subject)
Date: 2022-06-23 01:47 pm (UTC)...that does sound like fun.
I suppose it would depend on who you were playing with...what kind of game changes they'd enjoy the most. After all, dungeon quests aren't everybody's favorite, but I know a few who'd like it a lot.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-06-27 08:29 am (UTC)[ She looks over the board at him, grinning with sharp teeth. ] That's how you design Shadow Games, so I think you'd be able to look at players and figure out what type of game changes would be most interesting to them. Maybe even while they're playing!
(no subject)
Date: 2022-06-27 10:30 pm (UTC)[He shifts one piece, then another, his tone turning thoughtful.]
What would make me happiest isn't what might make you happiest. That's why I'm not going to try to find out what really happened to your arm, or your head, in order to get even for it...because that would be for me, and not for you. If what you wanted was revenge, you have the power to take it, and I'd assist you as much as you wanted! But if it isn't, and you want to protect that person...then, hurting them would only be hurting you, and I don't want that.
[One last placement, finishing off his turn.]
So, if not talking about it ever becomes more painful than talking about it would be...it's okay, to talk to me.
[It's safe, he means, for her and for the person who attacked her.
But it's fine if she doesn't, too. They're in the middle of a game, and it'll be easy to change the subject. This is an ongoing offer, a continuous spell effect that won't be removed from the field.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-06-28 08:46 am (UTC)She's ... anxious, at first, at being questioned. But as he continues on, she starts to relax again, a little. Considers the moves he's making on the board.
Carefully makes a move of her own, thinking more. Then she looks back to him with a small smile. ]
You're a good teacher, Atem-kun. [ She twirls one of the pieces on the board a bit - it doesn't affect the game, but it's something to do. ] About all of the things there are to learn here.
[ Absently, she rubs at her arm, which has started to itch-- wincing when it hurts more than she expects. ]
I don't want to get even. It was an accident, by a friend. And-- they helped me after. [ Carefully avoiding pronouns, even.
But she looks at him, and trusts--, well, hopes-- that what she's saying won't leave the room. Even saying this much feels like too much. ] So... I'll be okay, once I heal, I think.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-06-28 01:36 pm (UTC)[He says in reply, moving a piece of his own. There were level-100 players...Noa, Javert...who had given him guidance. Now he's the high ranking god follower with an arsenal of powers...so, it's right to help anyone new who wants it.]
It's hard to do well here, especially if you're a kind person.
But I like you, so I want to see you achieve your win conditions!
[One last move, and his turn's up.]
Do you have an idea of what those are, yet? What do you want out of this world?
["A friend and an accident" is good enough for him; he lets the subject of injuries drop.]
cw: PTSD
Date: 2022-06-28 06:02 pm (UTC)Not his move-- though it's a good move, she's pretty sure. So she busies herself with a counter-measure first. ]
Umm... [ She watches the board while he takes his turn, turning the question over in her head. Finally she speaks up, hesitantly. ]
I guess it feels like it doesn't really matter... I could disappear from here at any time, right? So I just have to make it until then.
[ She plays with one of her head-tentacles idly, feeling sort of uncomfortable talking about it. ]
Before, um... I just wanted more time to play games with my friends. And I got that here, sort of.
[ She's not really seeing the board, now. She's seeing a floor far away, covered in blood, and her best friend's shoes in front of her as he watches. ]
So, anything fun I get to do here is kind of like a bonus level, right? It's New Game Plus.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-06-29 09:34 pm (UTC)That's one way to think about having a second chance after dying. For Atem, it hadn't been...it had been a different level, a minigame that lasted much longer than any of the others. But...Nanami knows she died, then. She must know.
He reaches out and gently takes her hand, and if she doesn't pull back, he'll squeeze it, gently. No more contact than that, but it's a grounding point, an anchor to their current reality. Her eyes are distant, and though Atem doesn't know exactly what's going on behind them, he can smell on her that it isn't good. There are dark parts of yourself that you can get lost in, if you end up in the wrong place, or hear the wrong words...and it can be very lonely to have to pull free of that yourself.]
It's fine to be here to have fun. That's a good goal!
[He prompts, looking for her response.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-06-30 06:04 am (UTC)She nods and smiles a little, her head-tentacles waving idly, brushing against the wound and making her wince again. ]
There's a lot that's fun and different here. [ She pauses, looking down at the game. Whose turn... hers, right? She has to finish her countermeasure... ]
Mm... and there's friends. [ Whom she loves very much. ] So things are pretty okay, really.
[ She'll treasure what she has, because it's a lot more than she ever expected. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-06-30 01:12 pm (UTC)[He'll hold her hand until she pulls it back, contact that's light and easy and comfortable.]
That's what I want, too...I want to make as many good memories as possible, more than I can count, while I can. It's not always easy, but...even in a difficult game, you can still find the fun, right?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-07-03 09:00 am (UTC)[ Something about the way he says it... even as she takes her hand back to move a piece, she considers him.
I died thousands of years ago, and my spirit was sealed away. He'd said that to her, maybe a week or two ago now. And the way he talks about making memories while he can... it's familiar. ]
How old were you, when you died the first time?
[ What a question to ask, and out of the blue. But the room is quiet, and the game is long. They've both got nothing but time. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-07-03 11:18 am (UTC)Sixteen.
[Too soon, he feels.
I want to go to the afterlife, one day. But not yet. Not yet, I'm not ready, I don't want to go now, I don't want to be sent away...
It's only when he thinks sent away that the muscles in his face twitch, a tell. There's aching loneliness behind this wish for more memories, an emptiness in half his soul that nothing yet has filled.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-07-03 06:31 pm (UTC)She gets up. Before either of them knowing it, she's hugging him, gently with her good arm.
It's not fair. He should've had more time. But now they both get it, at least. ]
Then let's make some really, really good memories here.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-07-04 11:26 pm (UTC)?!
That's not what Atem expected. Not at all.
Even after everything she's been through...she can still find it in her to be kind.
He takes a deep breath in, and then -- slightly, just slightly, leans in. His own arm, the opposite of hers, comes up and wraps around her back.]
Yeah. A million of them...so many good times that we can't keep track of them all!
[He's fine. He's just going to. Hug her back, and let his tail wag, slowly, gently, behind him.]
You're a really kind person, you know. That kindness...I've only seen kindness like that in one other person.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-07-05 12:56 am (UTC)[ It feels a bit awkward to be called out like that, actually. It's not even the first time. But she'll hug him as long as he needs, gentle and warm. ]
Who was the other person?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-07-05 09:46 pm (UTC)It takes a rare kind of strength, to be kind even when you're hurting, yourself. Not everybody has it.
[Atem certainly doesn't, he thinks. He has confidence instead -- the strength to fight back.
(He is horribly incorrect.)]
Try not to lose it...but also, don't forget, you have to take care of yourself, too. Don't just look out for others, Nanami. Be sure to rest, when you need it.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-07-10 04:15 am (UTC)That's also long enough for her to remember-- oh yeah, they were playing a game. She half-listens to Atem's advice. ]
Oh, I'm trying to! Protect my heart, like you said. [ She moves one of her pieces. ] But I'm okay, really. There's been a lot to do, but a lot of it has been fun!
[5-20: Arcade]
Date: 2022-05-26 05:04 am (UTC)Living as a monster-- for Seras, a rabbit of all things-- and trying to go about her everyday activities like this was all normal. Waking up in her new castle home, getting ready to go to work, having cute little outings with her monster friends, coming home and relaxing, all while stuck as a pooka in a city she'd never heard of in a universe that was certainly not her own... Yeah. All completely normal.
Sure, things are weird now, but she can't say it's all been bad. For instance, she finally attended a carnival for the first time in her life! (The scary time she had one night there, notwithstanding.) And now she's planning to go again because she's not going to let that one weird time stop her from having fun, dammit. Plus, there simply was not enough time to do all the fun stuff she wanted to do, so it's basically mandatory that she go again while it's still in town.
The list of people she'd want to drag along with her was pretty short, but at the top was Nanami, her gaming partner and new friend. They hadn't been able to spend a lot of one-on-one time since their last meeting, and Seras thought maybe taking Nanami out to the carnival could be a fun way to get to know each other better.
Seras makes her way through the arcade, peeking over and around game cabinets in search of her friend, eventually opting to hop up and down in place, surveying the room from above.]
[Hop.] Nanami? [Hop.] Are you in here? [Hop.] Hellooo?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-05-26 05:26 am (UTC)That's okay, though. The place is filled with games that comfort her and make her happy, and it means she can easily talk with anybody who happens to wander by.
So while Nanami's injuries are still fresh, she's looking through the ledgers and paperwork of the arcade. This is Hinata's thing usually, but... she's curious. And there's not a lot of things she can do easily with a broken arm.
She's curled up in the back, on one of the couches in the board game corner, and she stirs at the sound. The voice is unmistakable, and-- are those bunny ears peeking above the cabinets every couple of seconds? ]
Seras-san! [ She calls out, and waves with her good arm. Her head-tentacles brush against her bandaged stumps, and she winces. ] I'm over here!
(no subject)
Date: 2022-05-29 02:26 am (UTC)Moving towards the sound of her name, she finally happens upon her friend back with the boardgames, offering a wave and a crooked smile.]
Hey! There you a--
[She freezes in place, eyes widening once she takes in Nanami's condition. Jesus, did that horrible creature get to her, too?]
Nanami! What happened?
[She closes the distance between them in a few bounds, sitting carefully on the couch beside Nanami, fighting the urge to reach out and touch her. There's no telling what might ache or sting, after all.
Seras' arms are bandaged in places, but between the kindly nephilim that brought her home taking on some of her injuries and the fog rolling through, a good portion of her wounds had already been sorted. Nanami looks worse for wear, and it makes Seras just as anxious as it makes her furious.]
Who did this?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-05-29 03:10 am (UTC)I'm okay, I'm okay! [ The injuries still hurt, but they're healing shockingly quickly - especially when she's outside, when the Fog is holding her. She looks away. ]
You don't have to worry about me, really! [ She spots the bandages on Seras' arm, and her head tilts as she looks at them with concern. ] Are you okay? That looks painful...
After Reira's Party, at the Arcade
Date: 2022-05-26 05:43 am (UTC)So, he had sent a short message to Nanami a little while after the party had ended--]
Do you think you can meet me at the arcade in an hour? We can talk then.
[--And then, if it was agreed upon, he took time to prepare a few things before making his way to Insert Coin. He has no plans to stick around if she finds his story unpalatable. It'd be fine if she was upset with him...a lot of other people were.
But Ryou can't help but hope that she might see it a different way. He doesn't want to be hated...not really...
Eventually, he shows up in travel form, carrying a basket in his mouth. Around his neck is his usual collar, the one with the D10 studs, along with a pouch whose string is looped just under the collar, and scratches at the door to announce his presence...though not enough to damage the finish.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-05-26 05:52 am (UTC)So when Ryou gets to the arcade, she hurries to answer the door, but it's kind of a weird hobble, which he'll see through the glass door, and at one point she stumbles, too. But as soon as she's recovered, she opens the door - the lights are on, the machines are all quietly humming or playing tinny music.
Presume animals are actually monsters: that's been her presumption. And between the basket in his mouth, and the color of his fur-- she's got his number. (There's his scent, too, though that doesn't register consciously to her.) ]
Come in, come in!! Bakura-san, right?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-05-26 06:39 am (UTC)[He can't talk, but only because of the basket in his mouth. Once he's in though, he sets it down and greets Nanami more appropriately. If he noticed her walking oddly, he chooses not to draw attention to it.
That wouldn't be very nice, after all.]
Sorry, it was nice out, so I...well, it's nice to take a walk like this, you see.
[Can a wolf look sheepish? Ha...]
I brought some leftovers from breakfast in case that you might want something to eat while we talk...please help yourself.
[He nudges the basket towards her with his nose. Should she look inside, she'll find a tamagoyaki bento that he'd put together from, well. Something he'd made earlier. Ryou really likes cooking!]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-05-26 07:43 am (UTC)[ She takes the basket and leads him to the back, where couches and pillows and beanbags adorn a corner stocked full of board games and card games. ] Anyway, there's always something to take care of here, so you don't have to worry about keeping me waiting...
[ And obviously there's games if she ever gets bored of, like, working. And the lake too, now.
She sets the food out on the table and takes a few bites, but makes sure to leave plenty for him. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-05-27 06:28 am (UTC)It's no trouble, I always make extra in case I want a morning snack before bed, especially when I'm like this. That is, if the sun doesn't knock me flat out first.
[Seriously, shifting back to day form is such an energy drain, he really almost can't stand it. Either way, he doesn't immediately sit, nor does he take any of the food. Clearly something is on his mind.]
So...um, you're friends with Mukuro, aren't you?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-05-27 06:37 am (UTC)Mukuro's been here - quite a bit longer than her, and Nanami knows her classmates had talked about her before, too. She supposes it would make sense that the connection between herself and the Ultimate Soldier would be made. Maybe word's even gotten around that Nanami and Mukuro are (well, were) roommates.
But "friends"... that feels like a tough question to answer. Nanami hasn't spoken much with the werewolf-turned-squirrel, since her changes, since Nanami learned about Mukuro's connection to her killer.
And yet... after a long time thinking, she can't really find another way to describe it. ]
Mm. We went to the same school. [ The octo girl finally looks up at Ryou after a long time, her head-tentacles wiggling slowly and thoughtfully. ] And she's done a lot for me... so we're friends, I think.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-05-27 06:55 am (UTC)[Ryou awkwardly rubs at his scarred arm, not to draw attention, but out of uncertainty with what was the right thing to say here. He knows about their school. He knows...that Mukuro was not so beloved there as she had become to people here.]
I know a little about your school...just from what other...students have said. It doesn't sound very much like a school to me, and I am sorry for whatever happened there. It means though...th-that you're experienced in dealing with terrible things.
[Maybe she can understand. He hopes so, but again, if not, he won't overstay his welcome.]
Bad things happen here too. Many terrible, painful things.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-05-27 07:07 am (UTC)And then there was her own label, of course... Nanami's gaze falls to the table, and she intertwines her fingers, the suckers grasping and releasing, grasping and releasing. ]
It was complicated. [ The school hadn't been the one to kill her... but even before then, calling her Ultimate Gamer hadn't made things easy on her, and since then she'd heard of some of the academy's more heinous crimes... including what they did to Mukuro and Hinata. She swallows and looks up. ]
I've heard that... Atem-san warned me. Mm... something should happen again soon, right?
[ They're almost coming up at the middle of the month. Time to brace herself, she guesses. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-05-27 07:28 am (UTC)[Ryou lets out a huff, his pink nose twitching a few times before he glances at Nanami with sad golden eyes.]
In such a place like this, it's good to have friends. If not for the friends I made here, I might still be living as a ghost on the streets, haunting abandoned homes by day just so that I didn't die in the sun.
...A-anyway, that's not what we were going to talk about. I wanted to tell you...w-what you ought to know about me in order to decide whether you want to keep talking to me, right?
[There's a sudden shift in Ryou's body language. His arms draw up, crossed one over the other with padded fingers clenched at the upper arms. His wolf ears slick back as well. He's far too tense to sit and it shows.]
So I'll tell you about something that happened in March.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-05-27 07:35 am (UTC)Mm. What happened?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-05-27 07:54 am (UTC)In March...Atem and I took note that there was a business selling anti-monster security kits. Since I was bedridden recovering from the procedure that had saved me from the Krakaskron flowers, he did a lot of the early research. Once I was well enough...I did surveillance. It's easy as a shade, after all.
[He remembers going into the Illumination Industries building more than once, seeking out information, catching snippets of derisive discussions that slandered the general population and laughed at their misfortune.
His fingers clench harder, claws digging into skin and muscle, but not piercing. Not yet. Hopefully not at all.]
The people in that company, they were manufacturing substandard kits, selling them at top dollar because a scared person will do anything to protect themselves. But they kept the effective kits to themselves.
...The plan was to make them pay, in a way Atem is very good at. He...makes games for people who are bad. The kinds of games that test their heart. They're winnable, always. Atem isn't a cheater, and he's not unreasonably cruel.
[He pauses, his claws digging in harder. He's just laying the groundwork at this point, explaining things leading up to the broadcast, but it's important to do so. To defend his friends and their actions.
(not his never his)]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-05-27 07:57 am (UTC)Her eyes widen a little. New context for Atem's games. Nothing she couldn't have guessed before, perhaps, but... a few extra details to flesh out the picture. ]
Winnable, if you're able to change your heart. [ She looks at Ryou. ] That's the trick, right? You have to know what you did wrong and change yourself for the better.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-05-27 08:31 am (UTC)Surprising.]
Y-yes. That's it exactly. A-and I think that if it weren't for a reason, we might have been able to do this quietly. That was the plan, initially. Before...well, before Maya suggested recording it, I think.
You see, Atem and I had been working towards growing with the Fog, for security. He, more than anyone, deserved the means by which to protect himself without having to worry about being hurt again. Atem has suffered so much..
[There's pain in Ryou's words, and his heart aches when he thinks about it. It's not just because he loves Atem so wholeheartedly, no. Not just that. If a friend had been tortured so frequently, he'd have felt similarly.
No, Ryou's love only made his feelings harder towards the sources of Atem's suffering. Hence...he had followed along on this pathway to power.
That's only half the story, of course, but it's the only half that matters. So long has he spent in Ryslig, that Ryou can see he has very little value. There are so many different versions of him that have existed in this place, how could he ever sum up to the value of someone else at this point? So, it's Atem he focuses on.]
In the end, when we went to put the men through their trial, Maya recorded the goings-on. We did it so that it could broadcast on human television, to disseminate fear. That's what She wants from us, you know? To spread fear in Her name. It was done in several parts, and warned for on the network, in case people would prefer not to see.
The Ring-Spirit showed how to disarm the useless kits, then Atem walked the board of the company in. Three men...because I...I had already killed their CEO.
[He doesn't explain himself for that. He just carries on.]
Atem explained the rules of their game, a game in which they were given the power to kill their partners for a pretty substantial reward. Atem...offered to buy them whatever they wanted from Mana within the range of sixty coins, as well as the ability to use him as a guinea pig to test their product further.
But before he could start the game, they all triggered the kill switches at once. They...h-hahaha...they were willing to kill each other out of greed.
[Ryou's jaw clenches, his claws dig into his arms, and this time, they do draw blood. This part...it turns his stomach just to think about. All of it, every single thing he's about to tell Nanami.]
I was so angry...that even though I knew, in the back of my mind, that Maya was recording it all...I went up to them and I gave them the penalty they deserved. I ate them. All three of them, because they were ready to eat their own kind up. The things they said...
[Ryou's voice breaks, and for a moment he doesn't sound like an adult, but like a lost, regretful child.]
They said...that...that the people they scammed of their money couldn't sue them if they were dead. They weren't human anymore...do you know the price I would pay to be human again? And they decided that being monsters was better. I'm not sorry for what I did...
[He's lying.]
Everyone who saw the broadcast...the monsters, they knew we were doing this to gain power from the Fog, because Atem told them so. And because of that, we were judged as true beasts. They were...very unkind. On that day, we were the villains. And they don't even understand why.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-05-27 08:56 am (UTC)But she can't help her eyes widening in horror, the more his story goes on. Whether it's from what Ryou and his friends did, or from what the humans did, she doesn't quite know as he's telling it - it's a gruesome tale.
I need to be better.
Better for what? For the people that tell us nobody deserves to die, but don't care about the lives they destroy just because they're not killing them?
It's impossible to miss the grief in Ryou's voice when he talks about eating the humans. It's impossible to hear how he reacted, and not remember her best friend, roaring with anger and destroying the TV producers with his enlarged fist.
Ryslig may change them all, but so do people who set out to hurt them. ]
But it's not that simple, is it? [ She squeezes the couch where she's been unknowingly gripping it - she realizes as she thinks that, even through her horror, she's frustrated on Ryou's behalf.
He is like the others - Mikan and Hinata and Nagito and all of them. She was right, she thinks. ]
Everything's complicated here. Everybody's trying their best. [ The number of attempts she's seen to change their fates - Dee's monster disguise, or Faramir's quest into the mountains - failures, yes, but sparks of hope still.
And with the number of ways the deck is stacked against everybody, human and monster alike - the transformations, the need to feed, even the trip into the TV world - with a game that's rigged from the start, it doesn't make sense to blame the losers.
Especially not somebody who was willing to tell her all this. Not even with glee and manic energy, like how Nagito might have talked with her when she knew him - but with regret and shame. ]
So... to call you the villains... I don't think that's very fair, Bakura-san. Not when...
[ Her face falls. What horrors await her at the halfway point of this month, she wonders, and the months to come. But there is one thing that is predictable, for every single monster here. ]
Not when all of us have to kill to survive. And not when humans can treat each other, and us, like that.
cw; oblique gore mention, torture, death, mind-control/possession, assisted murder tbh
Date: 2022-05-27 04:55 pm (UTC)The truth is, monsters here choose to make a moral stand that suits them, but they don't even understand why this needed to happen. How could they understand, unless they knew us? And even then, some that did know us stepped away.
[Ryou sinks to the floor, his tail curling around his legs as his arms shift, to wrap around his abdomen rather than stay crossed. Blood seeps through fur where he's claws have pricked, but he doesn't care.]
I don't think all humans are monsters. But I can't prioritize them over monsters, because they can die, and their suffering stops. When we die, we come back for more. And when you're not a high-level fog follower, it's so easy to die.
I've died twice here, three if you count dying to become a vampire when my copy tried to weaken me, f-four if you count his death, which I have the memories of. Those first two deaths, they're free. H-hahah...hahaha...can you believe that? We're expected to perish so frequently that we get 2 free lives...and then the rest lose us memories. I haven't lost a memory yet.
Atem has. He has died three times where it counts. His first, albeit uncounted, death...was caused by a monster here, through torture. He was tortured for days, just to serve some purpose related to the Fourth God, although no one blames Elias for that, why would they? The point is, just because it wasn't towards some predetermined counter, doesn't mean it didn't have an effect.
His first true death...he...he had to die, it was the only way the others and I could free him from the parasite infesting his mind. Mukuro, Horatio, Celeste and Mukuro...we had to dig it out of him...
[He has to stop there, because he remembers having his shade claws buried deep into Atem's abdomen, it wasn't what he wanted to do, but the parasite needed to come out...]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-05-27 05:27 pm (UTC)The way death works here... she's gathered bits and pieces, but not heard it told this frankly, nor this viscerally. It feels like parts of her are freezing up or going numb, like she can't quite believe what she's hearing - but she listens. She listens to the horrors that have happened to Ryou and Atem and their friends, to the things that have been done to them. She can't quite process the emotions she's feeling, but there's an energy in her that... scares her. Something powerful, and angry.
She clamps it down, focuses on him, and tending to his wound. ]
And... the others?
cw; suicide, death, burn mention, bad surgery mention
Date: 2022-05-28 07:36 am (UTC)But he won't push her away, and he does appreciate that she's dabbing at the cuts he's created.]
The other deaths...? I...I just know that he fought AM and rather than lose and suffer a worse fate...Atem took his life. He's a strategist, and he chose the best move. I was upset, but...I couldn't stay that way, not when I knew the reason he even tried to fight AM in the first place.
[Ryou glances down, away from Nanami.]
He did it for me. Because AM...hurt me. He burned me while I was defenseless, just because he could, and Atem wanted to pay it back.
[Ryou's burn scars seem to stand out more clearly after that, at least to him. the gnarled skin of his right forearm, the furless plane of wrinkled flesh along his right foot...and though no one can see it, the worst of the lot, seared into his thigh.]
I could have done better by Atem, if I was stronger. If I weren't such a weak, flimsy shade, then I could have prevented his suffering any further. But I was weak...so when the next awful thing happened to him, all I could do was lose and die against the enemy, then come back to see him lost and alone.
If I was strong, I wouldn't have died trying to stop that manticore taking him and cutting him open, but I'm just. I'm...not enough.
[He shakes his head, softly, then quietly murmurs the next sentence.]
That's why I needed Her help.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-05-28 08:02 am (UTC)So you did what you did to protect each other. [ And that's the power of the Fog... she silently makes a note of that. ]
What did She do for you?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-05-28 08:11 am (UTC)He's already exercising a great deal of trust in telling her this much, but...Ryou has limitations to how freely he can speak, even now.]
She gave me the power I need to protect myself and others. That's all anyone needs to know at this point. I'm sorry, but...I don't want to talk about that. All I know is that with Her power, I can keep from dying so easily next time.
I can't afford to lose a memory. That one memory could take something very important from me...something I can never fix, and wouldn't even know to regret.
[Ryou's tail uncoils from around his feet, then brushes against Nanami's ankles.]
Thank you...f-for listening. But as I said...what I've done, killing those men in service of strengthening myself and appeasing the Fog, it has reflected poorly on me. The things I told people to draw anger from the others hasn't helped either. Knowing all that, you should handle our acquaintanceship with discretion.
I also made humans more wary around monsters, which makes things hard for others, and likely brings a bad reputation to the shade population.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-05-28 08:21 am (UTC)She's been crouching next to him, but now she rocks backwards to sit down - the blood flow's pretty much stopped now, anyway. ]
Bakura-san... [ She knows what she wants, but it's only fair to ask. ]
If I wanted to be your friend anyway... would that be alright with you?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-05-29 02:05 am (UTC)How does he answer that? How should he answer it?
...He knows how he wants to.]
Miss Nanami...I...
[His tail tip twitches a bit. Almost...maybe...just maybe, a wag?]
If you want to be friends, I wouldn't say no. If after everything that I said, you think that I'm worthy, then...
[Thump.
It is a wag. One single wag.]
Thank you...
(no subject)
Date: 2022-05-29 03:10 am (UTC)[ The wag brings a careful smile to her face, at least. She's relieved he answered that way. ]
I don't think... worthiness is a really good way of deciding whether to be friends with someone. [ In Ryslig, or elsewhere - from what she's heard, her friends did some pretty terrible things back home. And so has she, here, and she'll do even more terrible things soon, probably. She knows she can. She knows she'll have to. So she knows she will. ]
It's just something I want. That's all, really. [ Because she worries about him. Because she sees bits of herself and her friends in him. Because she wants him to be okay.
Because he trusted her. ]
If that's okay, then I'm the one who should be thanking you, really.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-05-29 05:22 am (UTC)[Ryou hesitates with the next part. He doesn't want to make it personal, because he, personally, isn't nearly as important as anyone else. He doesn't want pity. But...Nanami wanted to know about him. She wanted to see him.]
...It's hard to explain that dying is scary to anyone who hasn't died here. And it's hard to explain how seeing someone you love be in so much pain and experience uncertainty he should never experience can be so painful.
[He glances down, at his open palms. The tips of his fingers curl inward, making his claws look threatening.]
They can't understand either...why I don't want to be a shade.
[He's scared, and it shows in his eyes, in the way his ears are pinned back to his head and how his shoulders are bristling. He's afraid that as soon as the month's over, the Fog will stabilize and he'll go back to being a shade, with all the terrible, dark thoughts that make him so angry.]
So, they're angry about what I did. And they don't want to know why I did it, because they can't see the path that awaits them.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-05-29 05:38 am (UTC)But she can't help the way her gaze drops, and her hands tremble. ]
I know what you mean. [ And she'll leave it at that, for now. She squeezes her eyes shut, trying to get the cheshire grin out of her mind.
Reminds herself that she's stronger now, she wouldn't fall to her again. She thinks. ]
Can you ask Mana? If she lets you change for a little... she can let you change for good too, can't she?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-05-29 06:24 am (UTC)...He will remember that.
But for now, he keeps on their current subject.]
I'm...I'm sure she can. I haven't asked her yet what the price would be, because I still have other things that I need to do. I have a feeling it would be many more coins than I have...so I'm grateful to the Fog for this form. At least for now. It's a welcome break.
[He glances at Nanami, one ear flicking, but ultimately they both relax. He reaches a hand out, gently places his padded palm and fingers on her shoulder, then smiles a little.]
I really can't thank you enough for listening to me. I think...perhaps we can talk about something less sad, right? You've heard more than enough, and if you want to give me a chance, then the least I can do is make sure it isn't all terribly depressing. Right?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-05-30 11:32 pm (UTC)[ She's already found a few coins, after her first month here - and she doesn't have any plans to use them.
... Probably.
But the change in subject relaxes her too. She gets up to make them some tea, at the food counter just next to the board game corner. ]
I don't think you're depressing. [ It's been interesting, even if the subject matter has been sad, and at times gruesome. She puts the kettle on and leans over the counter so she can still see him while the water comes to a boil. ]
Do you have any favorite games?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-06-03 07:28 am (UTC)It's...just a bit of a habit, honestly.]
It's alright, you don't have to say something that isn't entirely true.
[That's all he says about her insisting he's not depression, he won't push the matter past that.]
Favorite games...? Any board game, honestly. I love board games, and dice games, but mostly anything that has a board is where I excel. My favorite is a tabletop RPG, however, by the name of Monster World.
[...There. There's a bit of confidence.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-06-05 06:21 am (UTC)I don't have that one here, but we have a lot of board games. [ She glances over at the corner where they've been sitting. ] Do you wanna play something together? I love all kinds of games, really.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-06-11 07:33 am (UTC)[His tail wags once, twice...and knocks over something small, because it's massive. He startles, forcing it to wrap around his leg while he looks over his shoulder.]
Ah! I-I'm sorry about that. Sometimes it has a mind of its own...
(no subject)
Date: 2022-06-13 09:28 am (UTC)It's okay! So do my tentacles. [ The ones on her head are idly curling around each other as they speak. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-06-15 06:04 am (UTC)[Ryou doesn't even put much thought to the fact that he's complimenting a lady's appearance. It's true, isn't it? Watching the tips of her hair-tentacles undulate, they really do look cute. It reminds him of Atem's hair-snakes, from way back when.
Either way, he takes the mug happily, sips at his drink, and lets Nanami set up the board. After what they had spoken of...a game is a welcome change of pace. He'll enjoy sharing it with a new friend, someone he can trust.
Someone...who had trusted him first.]
Early June- Feeding time for boy
Date: 2022-06-07 06:03 pm (UTC)The boy had tried, he tried to feed, he tried to figure out how. And right before he had figured it out, he chickened out, the panic still fresh in his mind, his heart beating fast. He sits on the beach a little ways away from the waters of Lake Dala.
Why? Why did the feeding method have to be that? Why that of all things? He breathes out, shaky and tired. He didn't eat all last month after all...]
This sucks...
[He curls in on himself as he says it, and then elects to just fall over on his side, maybe the feeling of the sand will distract him from that gnawing feeling.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-06-12 07:03 am (UTC)Sakaki-kun?! [ Oh no. She hurries up to him, dropping her bag and falling at his side, eyes wide with concern. ] Are you all right?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-06-13 06:51 pm (UTC)Um... No?
[It came across as a question posed to himself, like he had to think about whether he was or not. He's so used to saying he is fine, but he's most certainly not. He lets out a deep stress filled sigh and runs his hands down his face.]
I-it's um... I... I found out how mers feed-
[He pauses, shivering despite the weather being rather warm.]
A-and I couldn't do it.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-06-14 07:55 am (UTC)[ The worst part of being a monster - of being a mer - and he's come to the same spot she did. No wonder he's doing so badly, Nanami thinks. And he's probably starting to starve on top of everything, too. ]
We have to do it, or it'll be worse. [ She gently places a hand on his back. ] I'll help you.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-06-17 04:34 pm (UTC)I-I don't know I just- I got close and I froze... [He runs his hands through his hair again.] I-I thought I was over the feeding thing, but this is...
[He just sighs, he can't finish the thought.]
What if I still can't do it-
(no subject)
Date: 2022-06-21 06:37 am (UTC)[ She says it gently, and softly. Because it's hard, and there's no way around it. The most she can do is try to be kind, and ease him into it. ]
Mers feed in a few different ways. Which way did you try?
late- im so sorry ;;
Date: 2022-07-14 11:52 pm (UTC)[His voice shakes, and for a moment he's unsure if he should answer.
But how will he get help otherwise?]
Um, I just sort of... tried to kiss them? [Recalling it at all makes him whimper.] I haven't actually done it before so I-
I- I don't know- I don't know- [He repeats, sounding on the edge of tears.] Mers drain liquid, o-or something... From the person-
I was just trying to do what felt right for this monster, but it felt disgusting... to me.
no worries at all!!
Date: 2022-07-17 11:30 pm (UTC)You might be able to drain water from someone in other ways, too. [ That's what the book said, so ... she has to hope. She holds out a webbed hand for Yuya to take. ]
We can find someone, and try again.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-07-23 07:11 pm (UTC)Okay-
[That's all he says, but he nods in agreement and forces himself up off the floor. He looks wholly uninterested but... He's willing to try anything, as long as it's not that again.]
Um, thank you... [Is that even the right thing to say?] I'll just- um-
...
I-I'm willing to try whatever-
(no subject)
Date: 2022-07-25 08:26 am (UTC)The person you tried to kill before. What happened to them?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-07-30 10:04 pm (UTC)Th-they're still alive. I tried to lead them to the water and um...
[He goes quiet and doesn't finish the sentence. The thought makes his stomach churn, and what first started as embarrassment, turns into flat out disgust.]
They m-might be around here still- maybe-
[But the chances are slim, if he just about got eaten, he's sure he would have gone running back to town himself so...]
I-I'm sorry...
(no subject)
Date: 2022-07-31 06:48 am (UTC)[ She takes his hand carefully. Trying to ground him. ]
It's okay. We'll find someone. Let's start looking, okay?
[ She stands, and starts to guide him back towards the city. Got to find somewhere there's people, first. That's the first step. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-04 05:01 pm (UTC)Because if he just doesn't do it, he knows what'll happen.]
O-okay...
[Whether they stand just outside it or within it after their walk back, the tension rises. Especially when they do get into town.
The street is bustling. It being the day and all, people go about their business in a timely manner. And Yuya freezes up almost instantly. Thoughts of what had previously taken place mix with the want to feed and he feels sick, grabbing the wall for support and shying away from the main street.]
I- I don't know if I can do this-
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-07 07:59 am (UTC)She keeps a gentle hand on him while looking around. She spots-- almost by chance-- a middle-aged guy taking a shortcut through an alley nearby. ]
There. [ She steers him in that direction. ]
<P.B.P> mid-july
Date: 2022-07-06 11:46 pm (UTC)Uh, this is probably super weird, but... do you like latkes?
I made a lot of them actually.
Re: <P.B.P> mid-july
Date: 2022-07-10 05:49 am (UTC)<P.B.P>
Date: 2022-07-10 04:32 pm (UTC)My uncle used to make them just for fun, and I kind of got overzealous in trying to recreate them.
<galagamer>
Date: 2022-07-11 05:27 am (UTC)If you come over I'll cook too.
804 in the 38-8.
<P.B.P>
Date: 2022-07-11 07:55 pm (UTC)You don't have to cook or anything. I just wanted to give you some of these if you wanted them. You're my friend and I like making sure you're okay.
<galagamer>
Date: 2022-07-11 07:58 pm (UTC)<P.B.P>
Date: 2022-07-11 08:40 pm (UTC)Are you okay-? You seem pretty down?
<galagamer>
Date: 2022-07-11 08:45 pm (UTC)[ Uhhh. ]
I guess I'm just sort of tired. Sorry, Peter-kun.
<P.B.P>
Date: 2022-07-11 08:55 pm (UTC)<galagamer>
Date: 2022-07-11 08:59 pm (UTC)<P.B.P>
Date: 2022-07-11 09:02 pm (UTC)Yeah, you're definitely not okay.
lemme just get the latkes and i'll be over.
<galagamer>
Date: 2022-07-11 09:04 pm (UTC)[ Time to get up and get over to the door so she can make sure it's unlocked for him. ]
[Action]
Date: 2022-07-11 09:28 pm (UTC)He knocks on the door, calling out as he does so.] Chiaki? Can I come in-?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-07-11 09:33 pm (UTC)[ The tree girl calls out from where she's standing in the kitchen, because she doesn't want to make him wait for how long it'd take her to get back over there.
She's currently warming up some miso soup on the stove she made earlier in the week, stirring it gently. Who knows if it'll go with latkes, though. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-07-11 09:47 pm (UTC)When he actually sees Chiaki, he's surprised by how... tree she is. It is a jarring sight compared to the last time the two hung out.]
Oh! You're a nymph now. That- must have been a scary change.
[He brings the bag over, placing it on the counter within reach for both of them.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-07-11 09:52 pm (UTC)[ There's no sign of her scales at all anymore, and barely any green skin. Her hands are delicate enough that it's actually difficult to grip the wooden spoon sometimes, but she's concentrating on it so it's not a problem, yet.
Instincts deep within her tell her to get away from the stove because heat and danger, but she frowns and tries to push those instincts down too. She wants to cook, darn it. ]
Thanks for coming over. [ She peers into the bag to look at what Peter brought, but otherwise stays rooted to the spot. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-07-11 10:19 pm (UTC)Something that is having at least from the looks of it a hard time really doing a lot.]
Hey, um, no problem. Thank you for having me. I just wanted to make sure you got some too. [He busies himself with unpacking the bag of latkes.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-07-11 10:34 pm (UTC)She has a few questions, but none of them feel important enough to bring up, so for a little while she's just quiet, stirring the soup.
Eventually it occurs to her to explain. ] This is miso soup.
[ Why is she so bad at being a host today... ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-07-11 10:53 pm (UTC)Super weird.
Peter isn't a fan, but he can guess she's just struggling right now. Peter does what he does best when nervous or unsure; ramble. He HAS to fill the silence. He needs to.]
Ooh, cool! Miso soup is really good! I've had like, some at Japanese restaurants before, but its been a long time. Your miso is probably way better anyway. May and I usually just went to the local Thai place for the Larb or the place with the really good gyros. So its been like a zillion years since we've- well, she and I went somewhere with Miso, I mean.
[Oh god, he can't stop talking now. He tries to redirect to something more on topic.]
Latkes are like, not something we bought though, my Uncle made them around Hanukkah. It was something he always like doing.
I helped sometimes when I was like really little? Like as much as a kid can help anyway. When I was like thirteen or twelve I could actually do it without Ben worrying about me being in the oil splash zone. Cause it wasn't like super safe for a little kid to be around that much hot oil you know?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-07-11 11:14 pm (UTC)She relaxes a little bit, listening to him talk about his family and the foods he used to make. Learning how to cook with your family sounds like fun, actually. ]
I learned how to make this a little while ago. [ When she was quite a bit younger. ] It's pretty easy.
[ It's just about warmed through, too, so she puts down the spoon and looks around. Bowls... in that cabinet. She reaches up, usually she has to stretch on her tiptoes for that cabinet...
Her roots lift her up just a little bit, enough for her to make up the difference, and she takes out a couple bowls and returns to her normal height. Then it's time to serve. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-07-11 11:26 pm (UTC)Maybe I should ask you for the recipe later? I should learn to make more stuff. [He blinks a little as Chiaki just... stretches herself up by the roots.]
Man, that's not fair, you can be tall now. You could be like tall as you want. [He did not mean to say that, it just popped out of his mouth.] Uh. Sorry.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-07-11 11:36 pm (UTC)Looks down at her roots when Peter calls attention to them. Huh. She... guess her roots did do that for her, huh? She considers them. ]
Mm, I guess so. [ She looks at Peter, realizing he's still getting shorter. More so than her, now-- and pookas are supposed to have smaller statures anyway. ]
Sorry.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-07-15 07:59 pm (UTC)[He shakes his head.] Oh, nono, you're good! Great even! I shouldn't have said that. I keep just talking a lot.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-07-17 08:44 pm (UTC)[ Now's the time when they leave the kitchen and go eat in the living room, right? Oh boy, this is gonna take a while. She slowly starts moving out of the kitchen and towards the little sitting area, moving one root after another after another.
Sorry, Peter, this might take a while. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-07-17 08:49 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2022-07-18 01:22 am (UTC)[ Hmm. Decisions. That... seems hard? She stands uncertain, in the kitchen, having not gotten very far. ]
... We can eat here. [ She's next to the bag... she looks in. ] Do these need to be warmed up?...
(no subject)
Date: 2022-07-22 01:00 pm (UTC)[Give Chiaki less things to worry about.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-07-24 11:55 pm (UTC)[ But she will take one cold anyway, dip it carefully in the soup, and take a bite.
And... her face lights up. The first crack of a smile, since Peter arrived. ]
It's good, Peter-kun. [ He's a good cook. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-07-26 05:09 am (UTC)Seeing Chiaki's smile made this extra worth it.]
Thanks, I'm- glad to hear that. I was trying to do something that made me feel... I guess more homey? Nostalgic I guess.
[He blows carefully at the soup. Wanting to avoid burning his mouth. He hasn't had his spider based biology in ages, but he's so used to being leery of anything too hot or cold.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-07-26 08:07 am (UTC)[ She dips the latke again, and takes another bite. She's not sure if she's more durable than him like this or what, but it doesn't feel like she's about to burn her mouth or anything.
A piece of latke drops into the soup, and Nanami looks down at it. ] Hmm...
[ Did they just invent a new fusion dish together? ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-07-27 06:51 pm (UTC)He relaxes a little, some of the tension he was carrying whilst worrying about Chiaki eases.]
Oh man, this is really good.
[Peter watches Chiaki dip the latke into the miso.] Do those really work together?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-07-30 05:45 am (UTC)But she does look at the fridge in thought, as she chews slowly. ] It's different... but it's good.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-04 06:56 am (UTC)Woah, okay- yeah, they do. This is cool!
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-06 09:31 pm (UTC)[ Maybe putting miso directly on the latkes before cooking them?... She stares at them in thought. ] Were... were they hard to make?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-08 07:10 pm (UTC)[Peter continues dipping his stolen latke into the miso soup between bites. A pooka in comparison to a nymph likely feels like everything has been sped up.] Not really. There is a lot of hot oil though, which can be kinda annoying to deal with.
Between July 9th and 13th
Date: 2022-07-18 07:15 am (UTC)Not to mention...the change was going to be short-lived. Some monsters change types permanently, she knows, but she didn't choose the mer body she was given, and when her fur starts to reappear, pushing scales aside all while becoming unbearably itchy, she supposes it's only a matter of time. She thought about visiting Nanami prior, but no...with the ominous portent in having her fur slowly creeping through the spaces between her scales like grass through crumbling concrete, she decides to wait.
A smart move, because her fish tail abruptly completely drops off one night (in a manner that would remind Nanami of her equivalent to Monster Hunter fame), and in a fit of shameful animalism, Trish has to find a tree out by the lake to scrape herself against until all of her fishy scales are ripped from her body, the itchiness hitting a maddening peak.
It's horrible, and she waits one more day so she can sleep off the ordeal, and to gather her things before making her way to her interval stay at Libeccio. It makes more sense anyway. The arcade is in Bavan, so she can split her visit into multiple ones if that's what ends up happening. Nanami was very enthusiastic about all of this, she recalls.
It's daytime when Trish arrives. She's wearing large aviators, a knot-front sleeveless blouse, and the skirt Fugo made her for her birthday – a nigh-perfect replica of her infamous math symbol skirt back home. The aviators are solely because light hits different when you have normal eyelids again, but thankfully she knows arcades are generally on the darker side.
When she steps in, she's aware it might be unexpected. She didn't say when she'd show up, but she'd rather see Nanami in her element than when she's expecting guests. Besides, spontaneity is fun.
Now, where is the world's ultimate gamer?]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-07-18 07:23 am (UTC)There's several rows of cabinets, actually - some video games, some pinball machines, a dance pad. There's a little robot of Nanami sitting at the prize counter, wearing a pink-and-white striped hoodie.
And of course there's the bowling alleys too. But no matter where Trish looks, Ryslig's Ultimate Gamer (both of them!) is nowhere to be found. The employees shrug, saying that she got all her shifts covered, and hasn't been in since the 8th. It's very unlike her, they mention.
But nobody's quite sure where she's gone. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-07-18 08:02 am (UTC)True enough, there is no sign of Nanami, and apparently hasn't been for some time. She must have changed to another form, is Trish's immediate assumption, but she can't imagine what would keep her from her work, unless she pulled something similar to Hinata and turned into a slime in the shower and was thus washed down the drain, valiantly trying to reform somewhere below the city.
But that's a grim thought, and instead of assuming the worst, Trish steps back out into the warm sun.
From there, she'll walk to the 38-8, since recalling Hinata's early time here reminds her they're acquainted. She's not sure how well, but Hinata's enough of a worry-wart she can't imagine Nanami going without as far as living spaces go. Besides, the 38-8 is perfect for many of the younger monsters. The only reason she never ended up there, she thinks, is that Giorno was quick to snap her up the moment he found her.
The problem comes when Trish realizes she doesn't know where Nanami stays. She could ask Hinata, but her bear senses are trying other means the moment she steps through the threshold. Smell, sound. She starts walking through the halls methodically, an ear angled low, listening.
Is Nanami here today? Or does Trish need to go to another floor? There are so many but she will do it.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-07-18 08:09 am (UTC)The eighth floor seems to be a particularly busy one. Two womens' voices drift from the door of 801, while from 805 the smell of something delicious wafts into the hall - presumably, Hinata's cooking again.
The sound coming from 804 is very faint, but audible to a werebear - chiptune music, beeps and boops, something electronic. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-07-18 08:28 am (UTC)Trish would never admit it, but she did miss some parts of being a werebear. Her strength and intimidating night form most of all, if only for the inherent benefit of being a strong monster type with a sight to match. But the unique abilities to smell and hear things from a distance was also sorely missed.
She doubts she would have ever stepped on her father's tail at the pool party if she'd had them, since even breathing is very audible if there aren't any barriers to obfuscate it.
Anyways, she arrives at the familiar space of the eighth floor, her nose and ears awash in similarly familiar scents and voices. She could name them, but her attention is less on what she knows is there, and rather on what she doesn't know for certain. Still, it's hard to miss the sound of chiptunes and the like, especially when Ryslig isn't known for the technology to abet it, especially not the portable sort. Unless there's a Gamed Boy she doesn't know about in the wings.
Still, Trish listens further, but the bips and bleeps continue unabated, and so she raps on the door of 804 with fuzzy white knuckles.]
Nanami...?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-07-19 02:31 am (UTC)The door's open! [ She's curled up in a sunbeam, on the floor of the main living space in the apartment, next to the window. It's just a couple of seconds after calling out, when she realizes whose voice it is. ]
Is that Trish-san...?
jojo poses at Nanami
Date: 2022-07-19 05:09 am (UTC)Trish waits a moment regardless, just in case Nanami changes her mind, but then she's pushing the door open and stepping inside. Because the voice confirms that it is indeed Nanami, but that's as far as the familiarity goes. Despite herself, Trish looks for a familiar flash of squishy purple as she sweeps in, but there isn't any of that anymore. Instead, there's a huge bonsai in the room, a bonsai that shifts and moves, a little handheld device in its leafy hands.
...Ah.
Trish puts a hand on her hip, standing in a jaunty but familiar way, since they've both changed again, it seems. All of this to preface her answer, which is:]
The one and only.
[Una means "one", after all!
As for Nanami, Trish tips her head. Bark and leaves...she's a nymph just like Giorno. Weird. She wonders what the through-line is, since Giorno is always up to no good and Nanami is sweet as can be.]
You're taking a well-deserved vacation, from what I've heard. How is your new body treating you?
"una means one," harmony continues to have more revelations about math
Date: 2022-07-19 05:38 am (UTC)[ Oh... somebody told her? She looks at Trish for a long time. Huh... she wonders who? ]
It's... [ Oh. She looks down at herself, from the body she's been spending the last... several hours at least, trying to distract herself from, all bark and leaves and a huge tangle of roots.
She curls in on herself a little, glad that she's sitting on the ground and not holding herself up by her roots, which still feels weird. ]
I'm... still getting used to it, I guess.
:3c
Date: 2022-07-19 06:33 am (UTC)She doesn't seem happy about this new body either, and Trish thinks for a moment and no longer before she pads over to settle on the floor across from Nanami, sweeping her tail up so she doesn't sit on it.
Her purse is placed between them, and she opens it to pull out a brown bag, held closed with a sticker, offering it to Nanami.]
Can you eat food like this? I brought fresh trapizzino with me so we could have something to snack on while you showed me games.
[Since she will not eat salty, buttery popcorn nor candy nor whatever else constitutes comestibles in an arcade, no ma'am. That's calories.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-07-19 07:07 am (UTC)I... think so? [ She hasn't done a lot of eating since she changed, but... whatever's in there smells good.
She takes the bag, despite herself, and opens it. If her eyes could widen, they would, when she sees the delicious treats within. Snacks for-- ]
Oh... the arcade. I was going to show you.
[ That's why Trish is here. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-07-20 06:06 am (UTC)Absolutely disgusting.
As for the belated realization, Trish shrugs a fluffy shoulder.]
And I meant to surprise you by showing up unannounced. Though, I don't mind a change in plans.
[They can hang out and talk about games right here in the comfort of Nanami's space. That's just as good, right?]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-07-20 06:39 am (UTC)So for now, Nanami'll slowly take out one of the little ... pizza sandwiches? It smells like cheese and meat and that's heavenly. ]
I'm sorry. I've been here mostly. [ She takes a bite of the snack, and... is that the ghost of a smile on her face, finally? It does taste really good, like comfort food. It helps her relax a bit, at least.
She hands the bag back to Trish so she can take one. ] You changed too. [ It's her first time seeing Trish as a werebear, in day form. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-07-20 07:05 am (UTC)Anyways, Trish adjusts so she's sitting a little more comfortably, that is: curling forward to drape her arms over her knees, her tail sweeping up and against her side. Cozy...
She accepts the bag of trapizzinos wordlessly, watching to see how Nanami takes it. Admittedly, she's not very familiar with Nanami's tastes yet, and she's pleased to see it's well-received. Good, good.
She pulls one out for herself, showing off her fangs briefly as she takes a hearty bite. Being a bear means meat tastes twice as good, which is stupid because it was never her favorite before, but whatever.]
You don't need to apologize to me. Besides, compared to you, I'm lucky enough to be back in a body I'm familiar with.
[She thumbs a small trace of crumbs off the corner of her mouth.]
That being said, you got the hang of your new body quickly last time. What's different about this one?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-07-20 07:16 am (UTC)And Trish's question, as she munches on the little snack, makes her focus on that, looking down at herself-- becoming something that's less sad to think about, but more... strange. What is different about this one? ]
The old me kind of just felt like me but with scales. [ Well, that was half of being a merperson. She takes another bite and thinks. ] Mm... and then swimming was nice.
[ Okay, that's half the question. Come on, Nanami... hmm... ] I... feel a lot... different now, I guess.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-07-24 08:55 am (UTC)But that's neither here nor there.
Here, Trish listens and digests this answer. It makes sense. Although Nanami's body had an odd texture, and all her human features were just as absent as they are now...she supposes an animal, even one of the ocean, is a far closer cousin than a tree, regardless of whether or not that tree is animated by magic.
And if there's one thing trees don't usually have, it's freedom of movement. That's what she thinks about when Nanami brings up swimming.
Trish takes another bite of her snack, swallowing before speaking again.]
I asked a silly question, didn't I? It's different in every way, just as it was the first time, while you're the same person underneath.
[And then, seemingly abruptly:]
How do you feel about going out today?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-07-24 11:55 pm (UTC)[ Is she the same person? It's hard to say. She feels so much different than she did as a merperson, and even as a human, in ways that are really hard to put her leafy finger on.
It's just another thing to think about, she supposes.
She's snapped out of her thoughts again, mid-chew, by Trish's suggestion. She looks out the apartment's big window, at the sun and at the street below. ]
Mm... the sun outside is nice. [ She has been going to the roof sometimes for some sunlight. It feels nourishing on her fronds. ] I'm still pretty slow, though.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-07-25 04:30 am (UTC)It's a lovely day, aside from the fact it's too damn hot. She used to love it, but fur makes warm weather horrible. A plant monster however...they've got to love it.
Trish looks back to Nanami, considering.]
...Is that part of the reason why you've stayed inside this whole time?
[She could see that being a huge deterrent. She could see any part of it being a deterrent, really.
But it comes back to a lack of freedom. In her mind, it does.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-07-25 04:35 am (UTC)She should be out there figuring it out, but she's just been so tired since her near-drowning and unexpected change. It's way easier to curl up in a sunbeam in her own apartment.
But being out in the sun does sound sort of nice, honestly. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-07-25 05:33 am (UTC)Nanami is notably silent too, and Trish brings her hand to curl over her lips thoughtfully.]
It won't be an issue if you've got help.
[It's no good keeping her cooped up like this, right?
Of course, if she doesn't want to, Trish won't push the issue. But she likes it better when Nanami is able to explore to her heart's content.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-07-26 08:07 am (UTC)[ She's... again embarrassed to take help, even offered freely. But...
Well, she did like riding on top of Trish as a mer. And she does wonder if she can do something similar as a nymph.
So she nods slowly. ] Yeah... you're right. [ She's brightened a little bit, now, her fronds perking up and her roots raising a little as if she's preparing to get up. ] You... wouldn't mind?
proving Jackal right even more as she carts around a tree
Date: 2022-07-26 08:27 am (UTC)Which is why Nanami doesn't have to ask, because Trish has essentially already decided for her.
Trish finishes her trapizzino, unfurling a little, her tail swishing behind her.]
I wouldn't offer if I did. No one makes me do anything I don't want to.
[This is emphatically not true, but Nanami doesn't have to know that.]
My only caveat is that it has to be close. I'm not carrying you all the way to Vandare and back.
[This is a shitty joke. Who would ever go to Vandare willingly.]
choo choo all about the Trish train monster
Date: 2022-07-26 08:54 am (UTC)Um... if you take me to the arcade... I could show you around.
:3c
Date: 2022-07-27 04:20 am (UTC)Well...her tail is swishing behind her as a tell, but she's not a dog, so it could also be read as agitation. If it weren't for her peaceful expression, that is.
Regardless, Trish has to ponder just how she's going to accomplish this. Nanami was easy to carry in water because the smaller girl could simply meld to her person. Carting her around now will be a little more cumbersome, but she's not one to be dissuaded by a challenge.]
I think that sounds like a fine idea. You know, I'll be in Bavan most of the week, so if you need help getting there going forward, you can reach out to me.
[But for now, they get to figure it out first.
So, Trish adjusts herself until she's walking on her knees. Awkward, but it keeps her low to the ground so she can offer her back to Nanami.]
Do you think our lake trick will work just as well on land, Nanami?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-07-27 09:07 am (UTC)I think... we should try. [ It's-- she's going to be more cumbersome like this, but... maybe it would work? She looks down at her roots. ]
If it's not painful for you... maybe these can hold on...
[ She carefully takes Trish's shoulders - her leafy hands are gentle. Then she tries to lift herself up.
Her roots... do not want to come up, actually. They like being grounded. She hesitates. ]
Can you stand? [ Tries to get a good grip on Trish. This might take a bit of strength - do you even lift, Trish? ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-07-29 06:56 am (UTC)She's not as subtle as she'd like to think, either way, and she listens to Nanami's concern with a tilt of her head.
Would the roots be painful...? Maybe if there was no buffer, but her fur is so thick it takes some time for water to reach her skin during her morning shower, and it takes even longer to dry off once her fur is properly soaked. No, she doesn't think the roots will be a problem.
Nanami seems willing to try it still, and Trish feels the odd sensation of the leafy facsimile of hands gripping her shoulders. As for that question, she responds by planting a fuzzy foot on the floor, changing her stance to a kneeling one.]
Only if you're sure you're not going to fall.
[In her mind, Nanami's question might seem silly, but it's also a reminder that she doesn't look like the type to be able to do this because in a proper reality? She isn't. But being a monster means nothing makes sense anymore, so what the hell ever.
Carefully, Trish will stand, although she's not sure what to do if Nanami falls. At worst, Nanami will simply be back where she started, and hopefully not too startled. Can trees bruise?]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-07-29 07:04 am (UTC)What tendrils had been inching their way into the floor, release their purchase, and the tree girl comes loose suddenly. She clutches onto Trish, holding on, and her roots dangle-- but begin to look for new purchase.
In a method not terribly unlike how her tentacles previously behaved, Nanami's roots seek something else to hold onto - Nanami's got good arm strength, but it's not the most comfortable for all her weight to be dangling like that. So a few of them begin to lay themselves on Trish's back-- one, then another, then another, with a few gently draping over the sides, Nanami working hard to will them not to hold too tight-- or worse, attempt to take root. It's just an extra way to balance herself. ]
How-- how's that? Does... does it hurt? [ She's perched on Trish's back, but it's-- somewhat less precarious than when they were in the water together. This is going to take some getting used to. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-07-29 07:47 am (UTC)No, the tree change may in fact be fate smiling on them and their odd dynamic.
Anyways, Nanami comes free from the floor, and her roots cling to Trish's back and middle. Trish is skinny, and hopefully that makes it easier for the nymph to grip rather than more difficult. Less surface area, sure, but a more secure grip when opposite roots can parallel one another.
The grip isn't too tight either, although it's a little strange to essentially be hugged from behind by a tree. She can feel the toughness of every root, but her fur is an excellent cushion, and she glances over her mottled shoulder at Nanami.]
Not at all. How is it for you?
[She seems secure, but Trish doesn't know how much effort it's taking for her leafy passenger to hold on.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-07-29 08:08 am (UTC)It's good. [ The quiet little sigh she makes sounds very much like one of relief. ] I... I think I'm ready.
[ Hopefully her fronds aren't tickling Trish in the face too much, given her position. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-07-30 08:26 am (UTC)Nanami seems happy with the arrangement, particularly, and Trish has to subtly angle her head up and down to push a frond under her chin. Tragic, that Nanami doesn't get to see the way the werebear's face screwed up when the aforementioned frond brushed her nose. That tickled!
Once that's done, it's time to get moving, and Trish takes a few experimental steps around the room to see how Nanami does. She's not very heavy for a tree, and has a pleasant smell, actually. Like the forest itself, shrunken to the microcosm of Nanami's person. However, that's a weird thought to have, and Trish crushes it under her metaphorical heel.
Anyway.]
Yes, you seem plenty steady. Are you ready to head out?
[Or...will she lose her nerve?]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-01 08:10 am (UTC)It's odd, perhaps, that Nanami feels more comfortable on Trish's back than she did on the floor of her apartment, in the sunbeam - but then again, perhaps it's not so odd. The apartment is artificial and Trish certainly isn't. She's a trusted friend and a part of the natural (monster) world, just like Nanami is.
There's something in there, some deep nymph instinct that Nanami might be tapping into, but the nature of it escapes her for now. So instead she nods, probably getting her fronds in Trish's face again. ]
Yeah. Wait... [ She leans down from where she's hanging, grabs her bag, and hoists it over her own shoulder. ] Okay, I'm ready.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-01 08:47 am (UTC)In any case, Nanami nodding dislodges the fronds Trish had trapped, and she gets them run under her nose once more in a manner not unlike feathers in a slapstick comedy.
Trish's face twists up twice as much with the added motion, too, the werebear angling her head up and away again so she can trap those traitorous leaves before they can tickle her any further. What if sneezing dislodges Nanami!!! Not permitted.
But Nanami leans again, and those fronds come right back when she does, and thrice is Trish attacked.
Thus, the werebear sneezes.
It's actually anticlimactic. The world's squeakiest sneeze, and it hardly moves either of them. But Trish is mortified, and instead of waiting for a comment, she marches towards and out the door, brushing the fronds out of her face as she does and saying way too quickly:]
Good, we're going then.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-02 08:00 am (UTC)But playing games is a help, and being with friends is a help, to making Nanami feel more like herself, tree or no. And Trish's squeaky little sneeze elicits a giggle, which she hastily tries to cover up with one hand. (Luckily her roots are secure enough that she doesn't actually fall.) ]
Thank you... [ She really couldn't be grateful enough for this. Both because it's a familiar comfort when she's feeling sad, and also for the practical help of getting her to the place where she usually works, or just spends time unwinding. ] It's not far from here... just a couple of blocks.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-02 08:26 am (UTC)[If Nanami giggled, Trish pretends not to hear it, apparently.
Instead, she's dutifully marching her way out of the 38-8, turning back only briefly to make sure Nanami's apartment is secure. It probably doesn't need to be locked, but it's the principle of the thing!
Anyways, Trish will otherwise make the trek in silence. Not because she's being awkward, but because she's not one to chatter someone's ear off. Instead, Nanami will get to enjoy a peaceful ride, swaying from the motion of the werebear's imperious stride.
Eventually, the arcade will come into view. Trish slows here, mostly to see how Nanami's feeling about all this.]
You're going to be a pleasant surprise, you know. They weren't expecting to see you anytime soon.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-06 09:31 pm (UTC)When Trish speaks to her again, Nanami blinks the sleep out of her eyes, and looks up. They're right in front of the arcade. Trish found it with no problem, apparently. ]
Mm... yeah, I... I got my shifts covered... [ She feels a bit guilty about that, actually. Are the other employees going to resent her for taking the day off but coming back anyway to play? ]
You... came by before?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-07 05:20 am (UTC)[What Trish doesn't say: "but really, it's easy to find again because I recognize how it smells". Specifically, like sweets and the stink of oft-handled metal coins. It's not dissimilar from a laundromat, but the arcade makes itself distinct with the beeps and boops echoing from within to greet Trish's round, furry ears.
Laundromats sound like earthquakes, if earthquakes were made of stained briefs.
Anyways, Trish doesn't think about how the staff will feel. Nanami has a unique affliction, and if they're not understanding...well, they can bite her furry, pink ass. What matters right now is that Nanami not be left to mope around, because that will do nothing for her (bold thoughts from a bear who has moped for a year). The werebear will continue inside, and Nanami's fronds may miss the sun, but maybe the familiar sight of the arcade will brighten her dull heart?]
You'll have to guide me from here, however. I'm afraid I don't remember much about arcades.
[Of course, she wants Nanami to verbalize these directions.
She hasn't moved to set the nymph down, and honestly won't until they've found a place to sit and relax for awhile. Assuming Nanami doesn't insist otherwise.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-11 07:08 am (UTC)There's a group of teens at the bowling alley now, and they stop and stare at the pink werebear who walks in with the nymph on her back. But the arcade has a strict no-violence no-eating policy, and Nanami's been careful to enforce that, so after staring for a few seconds the group goes back to their game, only occasionally stealing glances at the pair.
Nanami notices them, and gives a wave to the human working behind the prize counter. Then she thinks for a few seconds. ]
Hmm... we have to figure out a good first game for you. Do you like to dance?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-12 05:19 am (UTC)But if Giorno can learn to move fluidly with the body he has, she's sure Nanami can do similar.
In the meantime, Trish whisks her tail back and forth as she takes in the sounds, sights, and smells of the arcade. If she notices the patrons staring, she doesn't return the favor. Rather, she patiently waits for Nanami to rouse properly, and what the nymph says is not at all expected. She blinks over her shoulder at Nanami.]
Is there really such a thing as a dancing game?
[Perish the thought. All she knows from rare after-school arcade excursions is spine-tearing action, shitty racing games with the constant noise of the worst sounding engines in the world, and shooting dinosaurs on a jungle ride. Oh, and Peekerchu or whatever the fuck.
When did games ever have something fun!?]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-13 06:19 am (UTC)It's called Dance Dance Revolution. You dance and touch the pads in the right order to beat the game.
[ She glances down at her own roots, too numerous and inflexible and slow to play the game right - for now, anyway. But Trish... ]
If that's something you like... that might be the game for you, Trish-san.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-14 06:17 am (UTC)Trish strides over to it for closer inspection, absorbing Nanami's explanation.
It's not something she expected to see, and she's admittedly touched Nanami really was serious about this. Now she wonders...what Nanami likes to play. They'll have to do that next, won't they?]
Only one way to find out for sure.
[She is not divesting herself of her leafy companion though. Trish will walk up to step on the metal staging and its pads. Nanami can't dance right now...but this way, they can still dance together! Assuming Nanami is okay where she's at.]
Want to try it with me?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-17 08:34 am (UTC)She would worry about hurting the werebear by staying on top of her during this, but... they all have monster strength, so maybe it's not a problem? ]
Yeah... you can choose a song with the pad... and then hit the center to select.
[ She's still somewhat subdued, but right now that's the most enthusiastic yes she can muster. And if the way she settles back to rest comfortably on Trish is any indication, she's at ease and relieved about Trish wanting to have fun in a way that lets her join in too. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-18 04:18 am (UTC)Once the nymph is comfortable again, Trish tosses some money into the machine. Cheers to your business, Nanami! And then she's peering at the options that pop up on the screen, but there isn't a huge list to choose from. Usually, games like this have their own songs, right? But she sees one she recognizes, and makes a soft noise of surprise.
It's the only choice, then, and Trish taps the center button, locking in Olivia Project's "Have You Never Been Mellow?" on a standard mode and stepping back onto the pads proper.
The werebear is quiet as it loads, Ready! flashing on the screen before it swaps to the proper game and the song starts in earnest. Tinny singing comes first, and Nanami can probably feel the way Trish physically perks up at the sound of it. The arrows pop up next once the beat kicks in, and Trish squeaks as she hops onto the first pad. Damn, the arrows go fast, and there's a lot of visual noise on screen thanks to the flashing background.
It's a lot for someone who doesn't play games, and Nanami probably feels like she's sitting on a very jerky car ride as Trish works through it. The game is very sympathetic about her struggles, once it's all said and done. Better luck next time!
Trish is panting a little, but Nanami can feel her bow forward to start up another round after 0.2 seconds of debate.]
I'm going to get this right or so help me...
[Yeah.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-21 12:43 am (UTC)Trish does pretty good! But the difficulty is set a little higher than Nanami would usually recommend for a beginner. Oops. Still, she knows how stubborn Trish is, so she doesn't actually suggest turning the difficulty down.
Instead she sort of twists where she's sitting a little, to orient herself and give a bit of advice. ] If you turn... just a little this way... the arrows will line up kind of like in the game. More like a straight line... see? With the up arrow... second from the right.
"she doesn't actually suggest turning the difficulty down" NANAMI IS SO KIND...
Date: 2022-08-21 06:24 am (UTC)But they must be following a pattern, right? Otherwise this would be the most heinously bastard game ever invented, after the spine-slurping one.
The nymph on her back is bidding for her attention while she fiddles with the select screen, and fortunately she looks to Nanami with raised brows before she has a chance to jump right back into it without preamble.]
Huh.
[She glances down to her white paws, adjusting her stance. It's basically correct, but the hard part will be sticking to it, probably.
At least she doesn't seem miffed by advice. Nanami isn't treating her like she's stupid for not knowing, or anything. Not that she would, but it is nice to approach this without a lot of backseat, uh, dancing? The term backseat gaming is not something Trish will invent herself, and so it does not exist.
Anyways, she flicks her fluffy tail, briefly tapping a hindpaw on the pad in front of them for emphasis.]
Like that?
as if asking Trish "stubborn to my grave" Una to back down from a challenge will ever end well
Date: 2022-08-21 07:00 am (UTC)Yeah, you got it! It'll be a lot easier like that.
[ For how morose she was earlier today, she's perking up quite a bit while she's teaching Trish to play the game. She settles back in, swaying a little in anticipation of the song starting again. ]
Okay, let's try again!
CORRECT
Date: 2022-08-22 02:51 am (UTC)[Trish says, idly rolling her shoulders only to square them, actions that Nanami can undoubtedly feel where she's at. This bear is determined, and with an audience?
Doubly so!
She leans forward again, starting the next round and bracing herself on the stage. It's the same as before, except it isn't. Trish hums along to the opening lyrics, getting a sense for the rhythm this time. It's weird to her, because this dance remix is centered around a later refrain, and everything's sped up, transforming this song drastically. But it's not a bad version at all, and if one wanted to get deep with it, aren't monsters just reinventions of who they used to be too? But it's the same song underneath, and she knows it well.
Regardless, the werebear is watching the screen like a hawk, and the moment the arrows pop up, Nanami will be a leafy metronome with how her fronds crest and dip with Trish's movements. The werebear is so focused it's probably comical, singing under her breath, adding a few curses to the song when she misses a prompt. It's only a minute long at least, but by the end, she's much improved. Still not perfect, which makes her grumpy, but...
They clear it!
The werebear stands back, breathing a little hard, before looking to her companion. She looks awfully smug for someone who was swearing throughout that.]
See...? Nothing to it.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-22 07:12 am (UTC)And it's actually more exciting as the song goes on, because-- her score's good, for a beginner, she might even be able to--
And they clear it, and Nanami hugs the werebear from behind. ] You did it! Second try! That was so good!!
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-23 06:42 am (UTC)Like songs, there's something for everyone, which means sharing them casts a wide net that could captivate anyone willing to give them a try. It's a good way to bond with friends, or make a new one.
Combining the two? That may as well be a dream for Miss Una.
The werebear laughs, swaying with the sheer enthusiasm behind Nanami's hug. That's another dream come true, because the nymph sounds so much better already.]
I like to think I've got a sense for rhythm! I'd be a crap musician if I didn't.
[This is nonsense. If you can sing well and be hot while doing it, no one will care if your dancing is garbage. But in her mind, being a good musician means being able to do it all. Good grief.
Trish touches her fuzzy fingers to the back of one of Nanami's smooth hands briefly, fond.]
Did you enjoy the show, Nanami?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-24 06:55 am (UTC)You're really good! Some day... mm, I want to see one of your performances, too... if you're already this good at DDR... you must be amazing at that.
[ She's still gently swaying a little to the tune playing on the arcade machine - the wooden metronome slowed down, but still ticking away. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-24 07:34 am (UTC)Trish at least anticipates getting fronds to the face, screwing her face up in advance like it'll stop the itchiness preemptively. It doesn't, but neither does she sneeze this time. Mind over matter!!
She's basking in Nanami's happier mood and compliments regardless, crossing her arms when Nanami reveals that particular oversight.
That's right, she hasn't seen a single performance from her! Nai'a has fallen by the wayside while she learns business accounting from Fugo. The rest of her free time has been pestering Hinata to help her plan out the logistics of acoustic paneling and hey, what if I have this wall knocked down to make a breezeway for outside performances too? Rest assured, he's suffering.
Abruptly, Trish says:]
Libeccio.
[Her project, and the boy's memory from home.]
I don't know if Hinata has mentioned it to you, but I'll be performing there sometime soon. It's an Italian restaurant from Naples. When I'm ready to do rehearsals, how about I give you a shout?
You can have some real pizza, too. There's really no losing with me.
[Cheeky..............]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-26 07:49 am (UTC)[ She's immediately curious. A little excited, even. Is it because of seeing her friend perform, or the pizza? Hard to say. Probably a little bit of both. ]
Yeah, yeah! I'd love that, please. I'll come over... whenever you have me. Um... once I can move better.
[ She has to learn now. So she can go visit Trish. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-28 06:27 pm (UTC)It'll be a treat for the nymph doing well.
At least, Trish will phrase it that way, since she knows Nanami is the type to work hard.]
I have no doubts you'll learn to move as well as Giorno does.
But even if you didn't, I'd drag you to Libeccio myself. I don't mind. You weigh as much as a feather does.
[Having Nanami at her back is like having a friend-shaped umbrella, really.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-29 06:41 am (UTC)[ Trish has been unendingly kind today, but Nanami doesn't want to be a burden on her friends longer than she has to be. Her mind's made up.
She's going to learn how to be a nymph properly. For herself, and for her friends. ]
I'll ask him advice... next time I see him. But...
[ She looks down at her roots. Maybe this is the first time she's really seeing them, really registering them instead of ignoring them, instead of just dealing with them when she has to and pretending they don't exist otherwise. She leans down and touches one.
It curls easily in her leafy hand, reacting much more subtly and gently than she expected. The magic of the fog or her strange biology makes the root much more flexible than it might be if she was a normal tree.
There's something to work with, here. Her body isn't just an obstacle. It's something to be explored, just like being a merperson was before. ]
I'll figure this out.
"Her body isn't just an obstacle." ;__; total antithesis to bear lol
Date: 2022-09-04 07:48 am (UTC)Still, it seems the nymph is determined to figure herself out, and Trish isn't about to deter her. Hearing her come back to life just being out and about again...it was nice, but short term if Nanami continues to feel trapped.
No, she's got to make her peace where she can. Trish at least recognizes that much.
So she sways this way and that, like she's gently shaking Nanami out of the reverie she's wont to fall into. She thinks a lot, doesn't she?]
You will. There's nothing I believe more.
[Nanami was an excellent mer. She'll be an excellent nymph too.]
For now, though, I think you deserve some fun. Just say the word.
[More music, another game entirely? She's got a bear chauffer, the world is her oyster for today.]
<Composing> forward dated to 7/25
Date: 2022-07-22 01:05 am (UTC)I'd like to organize something for Beat. His birthday is coming up in a few days, and I thought that it might be good for him to receive a few messages from the people he enjoys being around and talking to, to let him know just how much he's appreciated. If there's any day to show him a bit of love, this is it, and I can assure you that it is very much needed, even if he won't admit it.
This isn't an obligation to get him a gift, though I certainly won't stop you if you'd like to. But, sometimes, a message we can go back and reread when our minds are turning against us is a gift worth more than something you can hold in your hands.
His birthday is August 1st, and we'll be hosting a small get-together at the following location:
[When looked up the address is... an old church? Very odd. If investigated, though, the church seems to be undergoing renovations.]
You're welcome to come, if you like, and you're welcome to bring a plus-one. Let me know if you plan on coming, so I can make sure we have enough supplies.
((ooc: PS: Don't tell Tal, the location/gift is a surprise!))
<galagamer> sorry this took so long
Date: 2022-07-27 08:21 am (UTC)[ Good thing that she's been learning how to move around more quickly. ]
Actually, when are your roommates' birthdays, too? And when is yours?
[ For future reference! ]
<Composing> YOU'RE FINE
Date: 2022-07-27 04:33 pm (UTC)[... ah, but that...]
Shoka's is March 30th, and Neku's is April 21st. You just missed theirs, partially from not being here and partially from not knowing them early on. But, there's always next year, provided we're all still here, hm?
[Conveniently leaving something out? Him? Naaaaaah.]
<galagamer>
Date: 2022-07-31 12:26 am (UTC)[ DON'T THINK SHE DIDN'T NOTICE ]
<Composing>
Date: 2022-08-02 05:27 pm (UTC)I'd rather not divulge my own, if it's all the same. Birthdays aren't important to me.
<galagamer>
Date: 2022-08-03 07:07 am (UTC)<Composing>
Date: 2022-08-03 01:40 pm (UTC)<P.B.P> early august
Date: 2022-08-07 06:04 pm (UTC)I just wanted to send you a quick message about something Norman brought to my attention. Haftesal's research team was giving out drugs to people on Amusement Mile. I think they gave the pills to newbies too. It's some kind of blue pill that makes people unable to sleep. The situation is going to be dangerous, so we're probably going to need to up patrols.
Norman is going to post a PSA pretty soon about it with more details.
<galagamer>
Date: 2022-08-07 06:15 pm (UTC)I wonder how many people took them.
<P.B.P>
Date: 2022-08-07 06:29 pm (UTC)We had new people show up in Amusement Mile, so, probably a lot more than we'd like.
<galagamer>
Date: 2022-08-07 06:33 pm (UTC)So I can do some patrolling. And I'll try to keep an eye out for people when I'm not at the arcade or
When I'm available.
<P.B.P>
Date: 2022-08-07 06:41 pm (UTC)But, we also need someone to be ready to go sit with people for a while if they're agitated from not sleeping or eating.
I gave out my inbox coordinates so people could reach out to W.E.B. I'm kind of annoyed I didn't think until now about somehow setting up a group inbox we could all access somehow. Because if I'm the one getting the messages, I could miss something and we'd be unable to help them.
Yeah, don't let this take over everything, Chiaki. We have a good team. I can take on a lot more at least.
<galagamer>
Date: 2022-08-10 08:03 am (UTC)I'll watch the network posts to see who mentions it.
<P.B.P>
Date: 2022-08-12 07:03 pm (UTC)<galagamer>
Date: 2022-08-13 08:37 am (UTC)[ Sorry Peter she's not thinking straight right now for definitely completely unrelated reasons. ]
I'll think about it. Maybe Doctor Osborn's post will help us find them. The best we can do is try, I think.
<P.B.P>
Date: 2022-08-16 11:42 pm (UTC)Yeah, its all we can really do. Hurry up and wait.
People will probably trust him more, yeah. W.E.B. is still really new.
<galagamer>
Date: 2022-08-18 03:36 am (UTC)I'll bet everybody will trust us soon too, though.
<P.B.P>
Date: 2022-08-19 07:18 am (UTC)Hopefully. I just wanna help everyone. I know you do too.
Action, 8/6, August arrivals red pill aftermath!
Date: 2022-08-07 07:49 pm (UTC)A gray key, the same shade of gray as the Fog, that kind of color that looks like it'll be cool to the touch no matter what the temperature around it is, rests in his brightly colored, webbed hand. Notably, the door to the apartment behind him is pulled completely shut.]
cw: self-harm wounds
Date: 2022-08-07 07:55 pm (UTC)The bite marks on her arm aren't quite as deep as they used to be, at least. And she hasn't gone back again. Bark doesn't taste as good as chocolate. ]
Hi... [ She shoulders her pink bag, then moves into the hallway and shuts the door carefully behind her, so she doesn't wake up her roommate. ] Are... you doing okay?
[ She saw those messages on the network to Norman, mister. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-07 08:17 pm (UTC)I don't like it. But, I'm going to be up either way...and, going to Dyster isn't hard. Besides, it's better if we stick together, right? So, if I start acting strange...remind me what I'm doing, and don't let me wander off!
[He puts a hand on her shoulder, just for a moment, reassuring. She doesn't look good, not at all, and those wounds on her arm -- did somebody bite her? For a moment too long, Atem stares at them. He has to tamp down his own anger at the prospect -- only avenge injuries done if that's what she wants, he reminds himself, and his brain's a sieve right now anyway.
After that moment, though, he shakes his head, his fins flapping.]
Right. Dyster. Okay...!
[He turns around, and with less deftness and dexterity than usual, he wiggles the Fog-key into the lock, and turns it. The door opens, and it's not into Atem and Ryou's shared apartment, full of flower-smells and baking-smells and a little bit of lion, but into a dark, columned entryway -- two rows deep, it's too dark to see how far they go to the left or right, or how high the ceiling is, until Atem advances, pushing open a second set of doors in front of them, which open into a garden courtyard, with plenty of light.
The green light from the permanent Fog presence comes through from above, of course, but what's stronger is the luminescence from the big, rectangular pool, water-lilies dotting its surface near the edges, that takes up most of the center of the court. Fifty feet across and a hundred feet long, its blue glow casts ripples on the brightly painted pillars that ring the area. A covered, paved walkway surrounds the pool on all sides: there's plenty of room, you just have to walk around it. The pillars are carved and painted like trees: greens, reds, golds, blues, all of them give the illusion of a stylized tree garden. Other plants grow in tiered soil-boxes around the pool: lower bushes, moonflowers and other night-blooming plants, all of them flowering or fruit-bearing or both. The walls of the courtyard are painted with a landscape: plants from all over the Middle East as well as Ryslig make up the foreground, then mountains, and then behind that a starry skyscape. There's a table and two chairs, for guests, at the far end of the pool, near a third, bright red, closed set of double-doors -- (framed by winged serpents carved into the pillars, and the doors themselves are carved with rampant, giant bats with open mouths and prominent fangs) -- but it's also perfectly possible to sit on the stone edge and dangle your feet, closer to the entrance.]
This is my place! Make yourself at home -- I'll see who's around.
[And Atem will head back in the direction they came, to stick his head out the main entrance and look around the cul-de-sac his building sits on.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-07 08:48 pm (UTC)[ There is that, also. Nanami worries about a sleep-deprived Atem being left on his own, after what happened last month-- she's already making silent plans for sleepovers and regular check-ins.
But the hunger has become a much more pressing issue, in the last couple of days. So she follows him through the door, crawling carefully on her roots into the dark entryway, and then through into the courtyard.
The place is breathtakingly beautiful. She has to stop just to take it all in. Of course Atem, a former pharaoh and current priest, would live in a place as elaborate and royal-looking as this.
While Atem's away, she crawls over to the pool, and lowers herself close enough to look into the water. It's almost nostalgic, and she thinks about how a month ago, she might even have dived in, even as shallow as it is.
But she's interested in the plants growing on the water now, and reaches out to one of them. It spins a little closer to her (probably the currents in the pool), and she touches it gently. ]
What are these?...
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-07 09:08 pm (UTC)Ah, those? That's a blue lotus! It's the same plant I grow in my apartment...only, where Tybolt can't get to it! All lilies are bad for cats, and that one's no exception. It's good for people, though!
[And with that, Atem heads back through the two sets of doors, sticking his head out of the main entrance. Nanami will hear him shout:
"Hey! Anybody around to help? I've got a friend who needs to feed! Nymph, but the death can be by vampire!"
There's a shout in reply. Can she have a minute to finish mowing the grass out here? She's nearly done. Atem barks that that's fine, the door's open when she's ready. With that, he'll head back into the main room.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-07 09:14 pm (UTC)They... really don't mind? Why? [ The lotus she holds close to her barky chest, almost protectively. ]
cw human sacrifice/child murder! oblique mention of sexually charged harassment also,
Date: 2022-08-07 09:27 pm (UTC)It's because of how they came to be immortal. The way I understand it...years ago, a town of humans decided they were going to worship the Fog. To prove their devotion...
[Here, Atem pauses. There's a warning in the set of his shoulders that what he's about to say isn't good. A breath out, then back in, and he goes on:]
...they sacrificed all of their children to her.
That wasn't the kind of thing she wanted...it made her angry with the town, instead of winning her favor. So, she killed all of the adults, made this area her own, and brought all of the children back to life. Now, they can never die -- they're under her protection. Any time a monster feeds on them, they come back.
[And...he's got to tell her the whole truth, right?]
Truthfully, I've only fed on them if I find myself in a dire situation...I'm not too sure about how willing they are to be food for us. Maybe that's just because I'm usually a vampire, and humans used to ask me to bite them sometimes in a way that's weird. So I'm more suspicious about things like that than most! But, if you're kind to them, and you ask, and you don't make it painful or cruel...then, it can be a better choice than the alternative.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-07 11:00 pm (UTC)[ Nanami freezes. She glances towards the door furtively. Holds the little lotus close. ]
They're-- they're the children? They really died like that?
[ Oh no. Oh no, she can't really do that to them, can they? Not if they've already suffered like that. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-07 11:35 pm (UTC)They're older now. But yes, that's who they are.
[It's obvious she's upset...she's a kind person. Atem has feelings of his own, about sacrifices...but, the people in Dyster have lives, here. Safer, arguably, than most humans, only that they have to experience death, sometimes.
But the way he feels about death and the way, say, Ryou does isn't the same. He's quiet, letting her make her decision. Dyster-sourced feeding isn't the only option.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-07 11:58 pm (UTC)Well, first she actually places the little lotus back down on the surface of the pool. She doesn't want to leave it alone from its family.
Then she looks at Atem. ] I... no. There's... other options. Like the soup kitchen, or... or what you said, people-- people who deserve it.
[ She glances back at the door, where she's halfway fearful of the lawn mower coming in at any moment. ] I'm-- I won't do that to them, they've suffered enough.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-08 12:14 am (UTC)(The lotus goes back into the pool, and maybe it's her nymph power, maybe it's a current in the pool, but it seems to spin happily in the water -- a little bit brighter than its fellows.)
If Dyster's people aren't an acceptable emergency food source for her, then that's fine. There are other options.]
Okay. Then I'll take you back...there's meat in my apartment that should tide you over for a little while.
[As he goes to the door -- the young woman, 19 or 20, smelling of cut grass and Fog, pushes the outer door open. She looks from Atem to Nanami, identifying her immediately. Her skin is flushed from work, but there's dark shadows around her eyes, not unlike Nanami's -- it's been a long time since this woman's seen the sun. There's recognition in her eyes, looking from Nanami to Atem, but no real fear -- not even the kind of resentment you'd expect from someone called in for jury duty. These are monsters, her siblings under the Fog, and she's fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time to help them.
"You're the nymph who needs help, aren't you?" she asks. "Would you like my name? Or will it be easier for you if you don't know it?"]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-08 01:58 am (UTC)No, there's no way she can. Especially meeting her like this. The other girl is too kind.
She crawls up to the young woman on her roots and gently takes her hands in her own leafy ones. ] I'm not going to. I'm okay. But I'm... I'm really grateful, that you'd be willing to help me like that.
What's your name?
big old cw for cult behavior/thinking/self sacrifice,
Date: 2022-08-08 02:07 am (UTC)"I'm Ingrid. I live with my brothers along this street. Our monster neighbors have always been good to us...really, I'd be happy to be able to help the Fog's other children."
She shifts from one foot to the other. Her overalls are clearly meant for work, and they're out of style even by Bavan's standards. They, and her shoes, have been repaired many times.
"Is, um...is there something wrong with me, Fog-Chosen? I can find somebody else, if I'm not the kind of human you want to eat. Just tell me what you need -- I want to help you any way I can."]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-08 02:48 am (UTC)There's nothing wrong with you at all. I just... don't want to hurt you... any more than you already have been.
[ Gently she squeezes the human's hand. ] Live, okay? Make a lot of memories that make you happy. Can you... can you do that for me?
cw suicide/drugging discussion
Date: 2022-08-08 03:07 am (UTC)"If you're hungry, then you're the one hurting, not me. I'll be okay -- I'll come right back to life! Thanks to the Fog."
Atem's standing to the side, watching this -- he's not going to interfere, this is Nanami's decision.
"I'll live no matter what. But you'll be hungry, if you don't feed. You're a nymph, so I won't even feel it! I like nymphs. We don't see many here, but I've always thought they fed very gently." Ingrid has no idea what to say; she's not used to the idea that a monster might ask to eat her, then change their mind. So, her mouth is just sort of going -- anything that pops into her mind comes out. "Would it be better if I took care of it? I've got a shovel in the shed. I can dig up some of our garden, and take something that'll put me in a deep sleep."]
cw: death discussion
Date: 2022-08-08 03:46 am (UTC)It hurts to die, doesn't it? [ She speaks gently and softly. ] Even if I was gentle... you'd still remember it. I don't want to do that to you.
[ Not to her. Not to this kind soul, immortal or not.
She finally lets go of Ingrid's hands and moves back, her roots carrying her over to where Atem's standing. She hesitates. ] You're kind. I won't forget you. I promise I'll be okay.
[ And before Ingrid can say anything else, so that Nanami won't have to look at the disappointment in the girl's face any longer, Nanami turns and hurriedly crawls her way down the passageway back towards the door where Atem let them into Dyster. ]
cw: death discussion
Date: 2022-08-08 04:00 am (UTC)Death's difficult for you, isn't it...? I can understand that, and it's not just you who feels that way.
[But he doesn't.
He's died so many times, both in excruciating pain and without any at all, that death is an old friend, a fact of (un)life. He could tell Nanami about this, about how he's died about ten times so far, and has thoughts about them all, and which were worst, and why...
...but, he has it together just enough to think, Nanami needs to eat. Not to listen to me.
He puts the key in the lock, and turns it, leaning hard against the door as he goes. He's exhausted, and on his last legs, even though he can't sleep. As long as he keeps moving, he's fine.]
I've got butchered meat in my apartment. We can bury that for you if you want it. Or, you can take some of me...
cw: death discussion continued
Date: 2022-08-08 04:17 am (UTC)[ It seems like an obvious question, and she's a bit surprised at the way Atem refers to it. ]
You died too... I saw.
[ She follows him into the haul. She guesses the meat at his place is probably what'll have to do for now... ]
and now for whiplash
Date: 2022-08-08 04:24 am (UTC)So wish a dramatic swish of his cloak, he approaches them.... in an attempt to be menacing but it's so hard to be when your tail is wagging ridiculously much.]
Ya both stink, yo.
[They smell of Fog. Reaching into his pockets, he pulls out two equally ridiculous as his own fake mustaches.]
I weren't gonna kidnap you as well, brotha, but I can't have witnesses.
[He gently presses the mustache onto Nanami's face, then does the same with Atem's.]
So you part of the kidnap crew now. Or kidnapped. Whichever you wanna. Yer walkie talkie on you, Squiddles?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-08 01:33 pm (UTC)-- when. Beat shows up.
Suddenly, there's a mustache pressed to his face.
Atem...does not understand any of this.
He looks at Beat. Then, he looks at Nanami. Then, back at Beat. Blearily:]
...what's going on?
[Is he seeing things? He understands that can happen, if you go long enough without sleeping.]
Nanami, are you seeing this...?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-10 08:03 am (UTC)[ Okay she's very confused. She's staring at Beat uncomprehendingly. She has-- a very funny moustache on her face?
She giggles. ] Ah... yeah, yeah I do. Here... [ She unzips her bag and pulls it out-- her W.E.B. (Walkie Emitting Broadcasts) for W.E.B. (Weirdos Equalizing Bavan). ]
What-- Beat-kun, what's going on?
POST IT IN THE RIGHT SPOT DW STOP
Date: 2022-08-11 04:55 am (UTC)I'm kidnappin' you, yo. It's enrichment fer yer peeps in yer super hero group AN' enrichment fer you.
[And to get her to eat, if she hadn't with Atem.... Hm, Atem is an outlier here. The poor boy looks absolutely dead on his feet. Beat's tail wags as he stares at him, debating, before going over to him to gently pick him up and lightly place him over a shoulder, patting his back.]
I'm kidnappin' you too, brotha. How you wanna be heisted away, Squiddles? Over the shoulder or under the arm?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-11 11:52 am (UTC)[It's a sign of how much Atem trusts him that he only blinks, instead of balks, when he's picked up.]
No. Now's not the time! Nanami needs to eat...I was going to share what was in the fridge...
[Hey Atem why do you have human meat in your fridge. How can you say "fridge" with a mustache on and still have it come out with gravity. Big questions today.]
I don't know what game you're playing, but it'll have to wait.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-13 08:37 am (UTC)Beat-kun!! You would do... something so dastardly... and villainous? We'll stop you... W.E.B. will stop you!
[ But she's grinning, and she raises her arms to be picked up - in whatever grip is easiest for Beat to grab her. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-13 08:33 pm (UTC)Don' worry yo, we'll get her fed. This'll also put her in a better mood for it. You jus' doze a little if you can brotha, you look dead on yer feet. My shoulder.
[Another gentle pat to Atem's back, then he throws a grin at Nanami.]
W.E.B can't stop me, girly! Oh, I haven't come up with a villain name yet, have I?
[When Chiaki lifts her arms, Beat snatches her up! Into a foot ball hold, sorry, it's easier with Atem on the other shoulder like this. Tucks her tight under his arm, gets her comfortable and balanced.]
Nyehe~ [Yes he's copying a certain old shit man's laugh cause it's skincrawling enough and just as annoying. With Atem and Chiaki it's a little awkward but he does manage to start running away with them.] Gonna force you into a life of crime, girly!
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-13 08:39 pm (UTC)[He bounces along, on Beat's shoulder, holding on as best he can to Beat's shirt and to a sense of reality.]
Are you.......
[He squints.]
....role-playing...?
[Maybe? Maybe that will make it easier, somehow? If Nanami can divorce herself from the "self" that needs to eat...]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-15 09:02 am (UTC)[ She snuggles into his grasp, a few of her roots lightly gripping his opposite side for purchase. ]
What are you ... going to do with us?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-16 02:08 pm (UTC)[Is it role-playing? Huh, Beat guesses it kinda is? He's doing it to help W.E.B. and they're not really role-playing, but Beat isn't a truly evil guy. He tried the whole evil thing. He sucked at it. But he can play be evil.]
I'm givin' the Web-Head's somethin' to do!
[You know how hilarious it is exiting the 8th floor into an elevator with two people you're kidnapping? This feels very anti-evil, but he can't shapeshift as a werewolf so. No flying them evilly away.]
First, Ima take you to my lair, yo! Then we gonna eat, cause I got some hamburgers! Then we're gonna go blow up a buildin'!
[What?]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-16 02:50 pm (UTC)[He's way too tired to make sense of this.
He's just...going to trust Beat, for now, and trust the game he's making out of this, and stick close to Nanami, to make sure she's okay. That's about all Atem has the capacity for.]
....I'm still wearing a mustache....
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-18 03:36 am (UTC)[ She-- presumes this is still part of the game, but that does sound dangerous! ]
Nobody's gonna... get hurt, are they?
[ And she reaches over behind Beat's back, and adjusts Atem's moustache-- sticking it more firmly on. She whispers loudly. ] You have to keep it on! You're still evil right now!
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-20 01:04 am (UTC)[Beat's tail wags like that's a perfectly feasible thing to say without batting an eye, grinning to the loud whisper as she pushes Atems mustache back on.]
No one gonna get hurt, place is comin' down anyways, peeps been cleared out. But we got some stuff goin' on that gonna make it seem like it was brought down by evil villains! I 'unno if I shoulda toldchu that? But whatever.
[He shifts them both as they make it to the ground floor, the elevator opening as Beat hups them out of the building. At least he brought his truck and lets Nanami go so she can climb into the seat, eying Atem.]
You wanna sleep in the back, brotha? I can grab some blankts an' make a nest fer you back there. Will be a bit breezy but secure.
cw discussion of terrorism,
Date: 2022-08-20 01:21 am (UTC)[He looks at them, very seriously, over his mustache.]
You understand that the last time monsters brought a building down, it caused a lot of trouble. Even though they were careful to empty it out, they were branded terrorists. There was a lot of pushback, from other monsters! Are you sure you want to do this...?
[Then, as a second thought occurs to him:]
Then again, if it's not connected to the gods, then there's a very high probability not a single other monster not directly involved will notice.
[he's not answering the sleeping question. one of you will have to decide for him. he has decided, instead, to attempt to give serious advice, while in a cartoonish mustache.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-21 04:53 am (UTC)If it was gonna come down anyway... it's kind of like helping, right? Like demolition.
[ Atem looks absolutely dead on his feet, and Nanami wishes so bad that she could help him, to fall asleep or something--
Her eyes get very wide suddenly. ]
Spengler's!! Atem-- Spengler's said-- some nymphs can-- [ What was it.
She holds up her claws. ] I might be able to put you to sleep!
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-24 04:19 pm (UTC)Squiddles is right, yo. Promise it ain't a buildin' attached to any Gods or Monsters, an' the little hints we droppin' will point to 'human' evil villain. Jus' at the start to get W.E.B. interested, then it'll go back to bein' a planned demo in their minds, ya know?
[He looks startled when Squiddles suddenly Spenglers, tilting his head as she holds up her claws and offers to knock Atem out.]
Uh...? Whose Spenglers, yo, an' why he say Nymphs can help put peeps to sleep? I'm lost.
[Still... if she can do it, she should. Atem looks like he's about to fall over. He looks horrible, Beat keeping a hand on his shoulder to keep him up and steady.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-01 12:01 am (UTC)[he's murmuring this almost to himself. Atem's pretty certain he won't be listened to, and on top of that, he's only so sure he's making sense at all, fiven his levels of exhaustion.]
And monster powers only work on monsters sometimes...it might not work on me.
[But, it might! The only way they'll know is to try!]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-02 08:13 am (UTC)[ It's her favorite book and she has read it so many times that she has memorized big parts of it. But that's not important right now.
She carefully takes the tired merperson's webbed hands in her own, and looks Atem in the eye. ] I'll only try it on you... if you're okay with it. But I promise... Beat and me... we'll be okay.
[ Atem looked after her. It's time she returned the favor. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-04 11:00 pm (UTC)She's right, it'll be aight yo. I'll make sure ain't no one think it's terrorism, or anythin' like that. We'll make sure ain't no one hurt or scared fer their lives. An' we'll make sure ain't no one think monsters did it. Let her try her sleep thing on you. You need it, man.
cw hallucinations, paranoia, sleep deprivation
Date: 2022-09-05 09:56 pm (UTC)...if his time in Ryslig has taught him anything, it's that he can't control other people's actions. He doesn't realize Beat is actually listening to him; he's starting to hallucinate wiggling things on the ground in the corners of his vision, so his ability to read faces and tones is truly suffering.]
Okay. It can't hurt to try...after all, if it goes terribly wrong, then you two are here, and the clinic is...
...
...
[He squints. Waves a hand in the direction he thinks Crowe Clinic is.]
...over there. Let's see if it works!
[And if it goes terribly wrong, it's not like he's alone in his apartment with no one to call for help. One way or another, it'll be fine.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-08 05:17 am (UTC)[ She crawls up to Atem and gently takes his hand, looking for a good place to do this. She looks at his palm... winces at the thought, and turns his hand over. ]
Hopefully this won't hurt too long... [ She presses her claw into his skin until it pierces between his scales - a translucent liquid drips from her claw into the cut. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-10 01:04 am (UTC)It's sort of fascinating to watch, as Chiaki cuts him. It's sort of what he was expecting but also huh.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-10 01:19 am (UTC)He lets himself be drugged, lets the fluid slip into his bloodstream.]
...
...
[He sighs.]
I don't think it'll work after a--aaaaa--
[His eyelids droop closed, and he goes fully limp. He's out.]
zzz....zzz...zzzz....
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-11 05:38 am (UTC)I think he's alright... [ She lifts her limp friend easily with her monster strength, and gently places him into the back of Beat's truck. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-12 09:50 pm (UTC)[He watches Chiaki place the sleeping Atem into the back of the truck. He could easily take him back upstairs, but he's still leery about entering Atem's place uninvited... Instead he unhooks his cape and drapes it over the sleeping mer, tucking him in gently.]
Poor dude.. How heavy yer sleep stuff? Will the truck wake him up? I can take him back upstairs [And face wrath later] if you think it might...
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-13 03:45 am (UTC)[ She hesitates and looks back up at the apartment. At least he wouldn't be alone, if they left him there - Ryou's probably around now - but... ]
Let's take him with us, just in case... I want to make sure he's okay.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-14 05:41 pm (UTC)[Moving around to the front, Beat opens the door to pull a small travelers pillow from behind the seat. That goes for under Atem's head, so it's not bumped too badly. Then he grins to Chiaki.]
You ready fer some burgers an' watchin' a buildin' come down?? It's already scheduled for demolition, promise yo. They was gonna tear it down cause it was a hazard. After it comes down, Josh gonna make it seem like "villains" [Beat even air quotes the word] did it. Jus' 'nuff to pass rumors to get WEB interested. Then it'll fall off after WEBS had their oh no bad guys time to investigate! fun.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-16 06:56 am (UTC)When she speaks again, it's in hushed tones, so they don't wake him. ]
As long as you're ready... to be taken down by the good guys! Your villainy won't overtake Ryslig, evildoer!
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-19 02:57 pm (UTC)You think you brats can stop us?
[He winces as he starts the truck up, glancing back to make sure Atem still sleeps, then pulls out to drive them to...... the soup kitchen. He makes no attempt to hide where they're at, but also makes no fuss about it.
He will leave the truck running as he pops in and when he comes back out? Hello, hamburgers. He will hand the bag to Chiaki, before hitting the road again.]
Hand me the one that says everythin', yo. I dunno whatchu like on yer burgers so I gotchu a few.
[The condiments will help cover the fact it's not a hamburger patty...]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-21 05:01 am (UTC)She glances back into the back row, ready to hand one to Atem if he woke up - but nope, he's still asleep. ]
That venom really took him out... [ He's still breathing, though.
She rustles through the bag, checking all the labels. At this point, honestly any of them sound good. Her stomach is rumbling.
She unwraps the first one she finds and takes a huge bite. Immediately she breathes a huge sigh of relief - it hits the spot way better than burgers usually do. ]
Thank you, Beat-kun...
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-22 10:36 pm (UTC)Good, brotha needed it. That no-sleep shit from those pills really fucked a buncha peeps up.
[He only does sort of take his attention from the road to watch her from the corner of his eye as she bites into the burger. Good. It won't satiate her entirely, she will need a full meal for that if she hasn't eaten but... it'll do.]
Heh, you know, you can jus' call me Beat. Nonna that honorific stuff needed! Butchu welcome, squiddles. Focus on eatin', we'll be there shortly. An' eat as many as you want.
[He himself will ... well, you ever seen a dog inhale something and you're not sure if it actually tasted it? Yeah.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-24 08:44 am (UTC)[ She will fail. It's kind of naturally ingrained in her to use the honorifics at all times, because it's The Thing You Do. But she'll give it her best shot.
Nanami practically inhales the burger also; they're turning down another road when she peers into the bag, considering taking another one.
They go over a bump in the road, and Nanami hiccups. Whoops. Ate too fast. ] What, um... what's the building? [ She's just gonna take one of those sodas to wash it down with. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-24 10:37 pm (UTC)Her question makes him smile a little.]
Old office buildin'. Was gettin' too dangerous so they closed it up an' planned its destruction. Should be- ah! There it is, yo.
[Pulling over to the side, Beat kills the truck and nods to the three story building a bit away. There's a crowd gathered, eager to see the old building come down. It's obvious the poor thing needs to be demolished; it's already caving in here or there, and there's holes in the bricking. There might be some familiar graffiti scrawled on it too.
Crew are moving here or there, putting the final touches to the charges and making sure the crowd is well away. Beat opens his door with a grin.]
Come on, Squiddles. Time to be evil.
[Which will be followed by Beat exiting the car and...... moving to sit on the hood of it.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-28 07:09 am (UTC)[ She's sitting in the car taking in the building for a good several seconds before she realizes Beat's out. Then she scrambles out of the car-- quickly enough that she would have fallen over, if not for her roots keeping her stable enough to keep her upright-- and crawls her way over to the hood where Beat is.
(Idly she tries to read the graffiti on the side of the building, but it's too stylized for her to make heads or tails of it.) ]
What-- mm-- huh? Just here? [ She toys with her fake moustache, trying to make sure the glue's still sticking to her wooden face.
(Beat she can't sit on the hood of a car that was just being driven it is HOT for a nymph made of wood.) ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-10-02 03:31 am (UTC)[He turns to smile at her, then realize she's not climbing onto the hood. He ohs a little... hm. The hood is pretty hot. He likes it but it might be too much for her. Looking around, he slides off the hood and wags his tail, moving over to her.]
How 'bout a better spot?
[He holds out his hands to her, with a grin.]
We can go up higher? Watch from a nearby buildin'?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-10-02 09:15 am (UTC)[ She crawls up to him and... takes his hand? Is that why he's offering them? ]
Aren't you-- we're-- are you blowing it up? You're doing that, right?
[ She's so confused how is he gonna do that from a distance. Does he have magic explosion powers she doesn't know about. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-10-03 05:11 pm (UTC)Oh, nah yo, you gettin' it wrong.
[Looking around, he spots a building he can jump to, which he does. Werewolves having the jump makes him feel at home, honestly. And from there, to another taller building, so they can sit and view.]
See those dudes?
[He points to the men in the hard hats and high visibility jackets.]
They the demolition crew, yo. They was paid by someone to take the buildin' down, 'fore I even got the idea to be a villain. It's been scheduled fer a while. Today's the day they take it down. They already got the wirin' set up an' charges ready to go.
[Carefully letting her go, Beat plops at the edge of the roof, legs dangling over the edge.]
The cities known 'bout this fer a while! 'Cept when it comes down, Josh is gonna use his mental thingy powers to make the peeps gathered here an' the crew think they jus' watched a villain take down a good buildin', that peeps was usin' fer homes or somethin'. No one gonna get hurt, but the peeps watchin' will think it's a bad person, an' go oh all no! An' that'll attract Spider-man yo an' yer Webby friends!
(no subject)
Date: 2022-10-10 06:09 am (UTC)Joshua-kun... he's here too? [ She grins. ] There's so many of you villains... in league with each other! You're like... the Terrible Two!
(no subject)
Date: 2022-10-16 05:24 am (UTC)There ain't nothin' terrible 'bout us, girly! We the uh...
[Beat's brain stalls to a halt as he tries to think of something to counter terrible. While he's thinking, there's a sudden blare of a warning horn, a man yelling into a megaphone in a count down and following that?
The explosion that takes the building down is far enough away from everyone safely to not cause injury, but it's still loud enough Beat clamps his hands over his ears and howls to drowned it out and make the air around them tremble.]
Big Cat Delivery | Sometime between the intro and modplot
Date: 2022-08-10 09:09 pm (UTC)He felt...powerful, like this. And while the inability to control the change was inconvenient, he doesn't actually dislike this. Not entirely.
He's prowling the woods tonight. Lager woods, specifically. Ever since joining hands- or paws, so to speak- with the Fog, he found that he could traverse these woods more freely without getting totally lost or having his ears whispered in. Beyond just that though, he's finding himself...dealing with the peculiar instinct to hunt, one that was sortof on the fringes of his mind but has really come to the forefront now that he's a full-on Liger. And so he steals quietly through the undergrowth, paws making no sound as his eyes search the shadows for any slight movement.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-10 10:02 pm (UTC)Yet here she is now. The fog only covers patches of the woods, and she finds it's easy enough to avoid those-- something about how the mist curls around that tree or touches that vine lets her know where's safe and where to avoid.
At first, early in the week, she doesn't wander in far. But the more comfortable she becomes with the forest's outskirts, the more daring she becomes. So today, she's wandered in a little ways.
She's resting underneath one of the forest's massive trees - more of a light doze than a real nap - when she suddenly wakes. Something nearby?... There's no sound or movement that she can see, just a feeling. She squints into the fog several feet away-- its effects wouldn't be expanding, would they? ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-11 02:05 am (UTC)Needless to say, he isn't expecting company that isn't in the form of local wildlife. Nanami herself is near impossible for even someone like him to spot amongst the foilage. Even the way she jerks when she wakes is evocative of a tree being blown by the wind, so it's not immediately clear what he's looking at either...
Instincts prompt him to sink down low to his belly in the grass, his paws folded underneath his chest as he stares straight ahead. His ears perk and swivel, taking stock of his surroundings. He can't see another monster, but he can smell it. Something different and not native to this forest.
After a moment he begins to step forward, inch by tiny inch, as if stalking prey.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-11 02:42 am (UTC)But she can sense something in front of her. The more she concentrates, the more she's sure of it. Something's pressing down on the grass, something is brushing against the trees, where she can't see.
She doesn't know how she knows it. She just does. ]
... Hello? [ She calls out softly. If it's real or not, if it'll hear her or not... either way, it's the polite thing to do, right? Greet something that's visiting you.
Surely there's nothing in this forest that could actually hurt her. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-12 12:22 am (UTC)His ears perk as he peers into the undergrowth, only to realize that even though he heard her, he can't...actually pick her out. She's just as camoflauged as he is, here.]
...s'that you? The lil octopus?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-12 12:35 am (UTC)It takes her a few moments to place the voice, but the stripes help. ] Adrian-kun! Yeah, it's me!
[ She waves to him with one of her leafy hands-- he's clearly scanning back and forth but not spotting her. ] You changed again!
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-13 12:17 am (UTC)In some kinda way, yeah.
[He's glad to know at least this is temporary, having seen others do it by now.]
The hell you doin' out here? This forest ain't for just anyone to waltz into yaknow.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-13 12:34 am (UTC)She's staring at his impressive form as he prowls into view, which means she catches the little wisps of fog that trail him into the clearing. Her hollow eyes briefly flick to them. ]
It's nice out here. [ She stretches and yawns, fronds rustling. ] I was exploring...
[ Though now she clearly is not. ] What about you? ... You pledged to Her, huh?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-13 12:40 am (UTC)[He wonders how many others who aren't Fog aligned could say that with a straight face. He guesses it has its good parts though, or else he wouldn't even be out here.
Adrian takes a seat some distance away from her, lifting one of his paws to groom idly.]
"Pledged" is a strong word. I just wanted to get stronger, s'all. The changes are happenin' slow as hell, so I needed somethin' to give me a boost. It's a miracle one of these monthly surprises ain't killed me before now.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-13 12:46 am (UTC)[ Now she's even more interested, staring at him curiously. Also, it's not every day you get to see a liger, especially one that is also her friend. ]
What can you do?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-14 10:29 pm (UTC)He looks back at Nanami after that, licking his lips as smoke trails between his fangs.]
So? What'cha think?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-14 10:32 pm (UTC)That's very cool!! [ She's genuinely impressed but also very startled and fire is very scary so she's extremely glad he aimed the flame UP rather than at her or any of the other plants in the forest. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-16 03:26 pm (UTC)Yeah. Pretty sure it's s'posed to make me more scary, which I ain't gonna complain about. But I really just wanted my old powers back, and this was the best she'd do for now.
[Maybe he can ask for an upgrade, but he's going to have to do some work for her before then...]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-18 03:36 am (UTC)She likes that, huh?... Making us scarier.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-19 04:08 pm (UTC)[He stretches his paws out in front of him, massive jaws parting as he yawns. His mouth is huge like this, capable of enveloping a human's head and then some if he wanted.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-21 04:53 am (UTC)[ As if to contradict her own statement, she rises from where she's been sitting, and slowly crawls over to him on her roots, so she can sit down next to him. ]
You seem... pretty comfortable, like this.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-21 06:51 pm (UTC)Yeah, well. When you've been a monster half your life, and had paws for hands at least a week of it, some of the crazy bullshit just stops bein' so crazy anymore.
[Like, why NOT be a lion, or a tiger, or some mix between the two, right? And besides, even if it's different, and he doesn't carry himself the same as he did before...there's something weirdly comforting about it that he can't explain. It never comforted him back home, but it was all he had. He was all he had.
Now, it's the norm. He's the norm here. That's...something.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-21 07:22 pm (UTC)[ She leans back against the tree she's sitting against, closes her eyes. Feels the breeze through the plants around her. It would be easy, she thinks, to lie here for hours and let the moss and grass cover over her, just to rest for a while embraced by nature. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-22 11:12 pm (UTC)Are you comfortable like this?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-23 06:22 am (UTC)I don't know. [ Jury's out, she supposes. Her leafy hand drags idly through the grass around them, playing with individual stalks. Wisps of fog wrap around the tree behind her. ]
Right now I am. It's not so bad, out here. ... Maybe I'm starting to learn how to be.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-24 09:15 pm (UTC)[Which, he hasn't gotten to that point yet, but...who knows what the future holds.]
Havin' some tools at your disposal for protectin' yourself in this place is better than the alternative, anyways.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-26 08:31 am (UTC)I'm getting... a little better at that, I think.
[ She places her hand on the ground, listening and feeling. The grass in the patch around her palm starts to grow taller. A couple of flowers blossom, from seedlings that had been hidden there. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-28 03:02 pm (UTC)S'that you doin' that?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-29 08:57 am (UTC)[ She rubs one of the little flowers, gently fluffing its petals and silently congratulating it on a grow well done. ]
It's kind of like... I'm asking the plants to grow.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-30 09:47 pm (UTC)How'd you figure out you could do it?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-31 09:12 am (UTC)I was talking to some of Atem-kun's lotuses... and then they started growing for me. I talked a little with the Tanabata tree, too.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-08-31 11:41 pm (UTC)[That sounds familiar, and it doesn't take Adrian long to remember why.]
That big tree in the park. You talked to it, for real?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-02 08:13 am (UTC)[ She's not explaining this right. She plays with a blade of grass while she thinks about how to word it. ]
It's more like... feeling like I'm in tune with the tree. Or the grass. I can sort of understand it that way.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-03 02:39 am (UTC)[It makes sense enough, anyway. Or...maybe it's more that it doesn't have to make sense. It's just a thing she can do, here. Just like how he could control fire back home.]
Y'seem pretty good at it, too.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-04 08:25 am (UTC)I mean, it's different, too! But... water as a merperson, and plants as a nymph... it's like where I belong, right? Or it's like... the element and I, are the same thing, now.
So controlling that element... it's just like controlling me. Like you, with your fire!
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-05 01:09 am (UTC)[It's like breathing, or being able to move your limbs. It becomes an extension of yourself, regardless of whether it makes any sense or not.]
Guess its kinda a miracle I ain't burnt half the woods down by now, but Foggy would bite my ass if that happened for sure.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-08 05:17 am (UTC)I'm glad you didn't too! There'd be so many trees that would get hurt! Maybe animals and monsters, too!
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-08 04:40 pm (UTC)…sorry, I- I won’t actually do that. You ain’t gotta worry.
[Normally he wouldn’t care, but with Nanami it’s different.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-11 05:38 am (UTC)[ Said casually, in part because - well he's one of Her followers now, so She'd probably be more lenient with him anyway. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-12 04:04 pm (UTC)[Adrian can't say he's scared of her, persay. He knows she's got a lot of power, and she could easily destroy him for his insolence, but...he also understands that she cares about him for some insane reason and probably wouldn't kill him unless he fucked up real bad on purpose.
Which is weird to think about. Is he projecting? Maybe he's projecting.]
It'd suck if I did that anyway. I like to come here.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-13 03:45 am (UTC)I might come back here more often too... if that's all right. It's nice to be around trees and nature, like this.
[ It feels like being underwater as a merperson: right. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-14 02:17 am (UTC)[He does pause though, peering at her through one eye.]
I'd just be careful. It's not really a good place to be if you ain't got a deal with the Fog.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-14 06:32 am (UTC)Yeah... a friend of mine got lost here, once, and I tried to track her with Ikusaba-san. So I know about the foggy patches...
[ They hadn't stayed long, but it had been enough to give her an impression. ]
But I've been able to avoid those so far... the trees help me stay away from them, and know how to get back out.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-16 02:18 am (UTC)Even with all the fog...it don't bother you?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-16 06:56 am (UTC)Not really. It's kind of hard to explain why.
[ But she'll try. It's just the two of them, and he's Fog-aligned. She toys with that little blade of grass again. ]
The Fog... it's what makes us like this, right? So... I guess it kind of feels like... the fog is where we're supposed to be, now.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-17 03:47 am (UTC)An' have you talked to Her yet?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-18 04:00 am (UTC)[ There's a bit of guilt there, like she should have talked with Her again since then. But there's been so much going on and so much on her mind.
And she's been wanting to get as much information as possible before making any sort of decision. ]
I just... wanted to thank Her, I guess.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-18 05:46 pm (UTC)[That might be too personal of a question to ask, so he'd understand if it went unanswered.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-21 05:01 am (UTC)[ How does she explain this? That conversation was months ago, but she tries to remember, and put her finger on it. ]
If... mm. [ Is it too depressing of her to bring up her own death.
... They are in the middle of the fog forest. ]
She kind of... gave me another chance. And... in a way that's not too bad, mostly.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-21 06:37 pm (UTC)...I think I get it. She gave me another chance too.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-21 10:34 pm (UTC)Still, she has a little context for what he's saying, at least. ] ... I'm really glad She did. [ A little smile. ] And I'm glad... that that meant I got to meet you, too.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-22 09:53 pm (UTC)Yeah. You're...you're a real good kid, Nanami. So. I'm glad I met you too.
from the 17th on
Date: 2022-08-20 12:24 am (UTC)1.
did you come back?
2.
im guess no?
3.
hey where you at??
4.
aw don tell me you gonna res wid the fog
5.
we stopped the monster yo josh told me
6.
lemme know when you back
7.
you really gonna rez wid the fog huh
8.
aight for real tell me when you get back we gotta have an us day after that
as soon as the fog rolls in on the 4th until whenever chiaki answers him
Date: 2022-09-05 12:05 pm (UTC)squiddles
you better be back
squiddles this aint funny yo where you at
ima punch the fog so hard
my messages aint bouncin so i know you here here
cmon yo
where my best girl at
come back soon aight we miss you
<galagamer> September 6th
Date: 2022-09-05 05:08 pm (UTC)<soundsurfer>
Date: 2022-09-05 10:17 pm (UTC)<galagamer>
Date: 2022-09-05 10:18 pm (UTC)diffe rent
<soundsurfer>
Date: 2022-09-05 10:25 pm (UTC)[He's not sure what different means, but he's about to find out, when he shows up at the arcade. For his part, Beat's different too. The Wasteland Fog seems to have brought with it a reminder of Beat's death. He's entirely human looking, though paler, and his hands are floating — disconnected from the rest of his arms. He's still wearing the collar he had been wearing while as a Werewolf, to hide the scar ringing his neck and to keep his damn head on.
One hand floats to open the Arcade door for him, before returning to his side once he's in.]
Squiddles! Where you at! Hollar!
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-05 10:31 pm (UTC)The arcade itself is empty, but right outside, the willow tree rouses from her sleep, two dark eyes cracking open halfway through the trunk. She calls out to him in a whispery voice, unsure if he'll be able to hear at that distance.
The wind follows Beat into the arcade as the door shuts behind him. ] Beat-kun...
[ But there's no immediately visible source of it - at least not indoors. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-05 10:56 pm (UTC)One hand comes over to scratch his head for him.]
Uh... Squiddles?
[He makes a slow turn, his hand resting on his head while the other floats in it's fisty punch shape, before he spots the tree outside. That wasn't there before, was it? Fist hand floats over to open the door so he can peek out.]
... Squiddles?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-05 11:07 pm (UTC)But she knows it's him. She knows the voice. ]
I'm here. [ When the whispery voice speaks, the branches rustle. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-06 03:43 am (UTC)Uh....
[The new Lich tilts his head, squinting gently. Then, rather than think his friend has a just Tree Fog Form he goes for the second obvious.]
... You possessin' the tree? You a shade now?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-06 03:57 am (UTC)[ She looks at him from the hollow eyes midway up her trunk, lit from within by the embers of a dying flame. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-06 04:01 am (UTC)[He smiles at the tree before approaching and wrapping his arms around her trunk. His hands pat somewhere around the 'back' as he hugs her. Tries to hug her as tightly as possible.]
I'm glad yer back, Squiddles...
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-06 04:39 am (UTC)... but she'll try, for him. A few of the willow's branches wrap around the lich's back. ]
I'm glad you're okay.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-08 12:58 am (UTC)Di'nt 'xpect you to go all tree...y. Even more so. You able to move?
[Cause it would suck if she was stuck to just one spot. How is she going to eat? Beat begins to fret.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-08 07:05 am (UTC)Me either. I can still walk like before. [ A couple of her roots, a small distance away from him, raise out of the ground to show him.
And now that he's this close, and the emotions are dying down a little bit, she can really... take him in. He's not a dog anymore, nor is he a pooka. ] You changed again... what are you?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-10 02:00 am (UTC)He's so incredibly glad she finally came back. It wasn't just Peter being eaten up inside about it.
Her question makes him smile a little and look at himself.]
A Lich. I gambled wid Mana an' lost. I'm tryina get a feel fer different forms, yo, an' asked her to take animal off the list cuz I was gettin' a lot of it. She really said die then. But look!
[He pops his hands off from where they had been resting on his arms. Not attached but looking like it. He doesn't take his head off. She didn't see it but he's not going to upset her like that. Instead he floats his hands around to pay her on her leafy "head".]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-11 07:48 am (UTC)That doesn't hurt, does it? [ She hasn't actually met very many liches. Her gaze follows his hand, and then jolts a little in surprise when she's patted. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-11 10:18 pm (UTC)Nah, it was odd at first cuzza how far they can go, but it really jus' like I'm super stretchy. An' uh. I can do this.
[He reaches up and takes his head to lift it straight up and off his neck.]
Shoulda asked fer this fer Halloween.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-13 06:15 am (UTC)That's really cool...! It doesn't seem like a bad type of monster to be.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-14 10:19 pm (UTC)Yeah it's kinda weird but also not bad. No really weird animal urges or anythin'!
[Moving himself over, he sits down beside her to lean against her trunk.]
Missed you, Squiddles.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-16 07:34 am (UTC)I missed you too... I think? [ It's hard to tell. She doesn't remember her time in the Sea of Stars. She only halfway remembers her time while frenzying, when her focus was completely on killing and eating. ]
Peter-kun told me... what happened after. I'm sorry...
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-19 03:12 pm (UTC)[That's the last thing he ever wants her to feel. He's kind of upset Peter told her, but she also has the right to know. Sighing, he tilts his head in to just rest it against her, frowning off into the garden.]
We got it, in the end. Tha's what matters, right? The camp was saved. The peeps in it. Ain't no one else had to get hurt... An' I'm sorry. I'm sorry we wasn't fast enough.
[Listen, he can be hypocritical, he doesn't know the word, it left when his brain died.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-21 05:04 am (UTC)(And the way she's come back has been - disorienting, and scary, but that's another story.) ]
It's not your fault. [ One of her willow branches drapes over Beat's shoulder, the closest she can get to a comforting gesture. ] We all tried hard.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-23 02:58 am (UTC)We did, yo. Which makes the fact we all feelin' like shit really stupid. We gotta not blame ourselves.
[Though he knows Nanami is doing it. Just as he knew Peter was doing it.]
You know, we all make a pretty good team though. We jus' gotta work at it more.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-24 08:46 am (UTC)[ Ribbing him about W.E.B. But it's not like she can throw stones.
She helped blow up that building, too. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-25 02:48 am (UTC)Nyehe~ you can't deny you enjoyed it too, Squiddles! Jus' you watch, I'll make you into a proper villain yet!
[Relaxing his expression, he bonks his head against her bark lightly.]
Until then, yo, I think we earned a rest time. Im throw a spa day fer us or somethin'. When the fog over so you ain't tryina get 'round bein' a giant tree.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-28 07:39 am (UTC)Yeah... thanks. Mm... I think I might just... stay here, mostly. Until then.
... But... that sounds... nice, after.
<P.B.P> 1/3
Date: 2022-08-20 12:48 am (UTC)im sorry
im so sorry
chiaki
please pleaseplease
<P.B.P> 2/3 - A day later
Date: 2022-08-20 12:48 am (UTC)Sorry. I freaked out in your inbox.
Please message me back, please. I need to know you're okay.
<P.B.P> 3/3 - a few days later
Date: 2022-08-20 12:50 am (UTC)Just... take care of yourself, please.
<galagamer> September 6th 1/2
Date: 2022-09-05 12:13 am (UTC)<galagamer>
Date: 2022-09-05 12:14 am (UTC)<P.B.P>
Date: 2022-09-05 12:24 am (UTC)Where are you-? are you okay?
<galagamer>
Date: 2022-09-05 12:25 am (UTC)<P.B.P>
Date: 2022-09-05 12:30 am (UTC)<galagamer>
Date: 2022-09-05 01:36 am (UTC)<P.B.P> ---> [Action]
Date: 2022-09-05 03:23 am (UTC)[After that message, Peter closes his laptop, taking off to get a taxi to Bavan. This is one of the times he wishes he lived in the city.
Peter arrives at the arcade, trying the door to get in. The teenager is a little rumpled looking from running to the arcade.]
Chiaki? I'm- here!
[action]
Date: 2022-09-05 05:12 am (UTC)So the door is locked, and it's dark inside. But it's pretty hard to miss the giant willow tree that's appeared in the grass nearby the arcade. ]
[action]
Date: 2022-09-05 06:25 am (UTC)He walks away from the arcade entrance to come to a stop to peer up at the willow tree.]
...Chiaki, you're looking very... tree.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-05 07:01 am (UTC)Two small openings split open in the wood, partway up her trunk, when he addresses her - as Nanami rouses from the doze she went into after his last message.
The voice is a whisper on the breeze, so quiet that it's almost like he's imagining it. ]
Peter-kun... it's you.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-05 07:25 am (UTC)[Peter starts walking forward again, closing what space lay between them. He reaches out to lay a gentle hand against Chiaki's tree trunk.]
I'm really glad your back.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-05 07:27 am (UTC)The branches around him shake. But it's several long seconds, again, before the voice returns. ]
Was I... was I really gone for long?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-05 07:30 am (UTC)[He isn't hesitant about leaning very gently into Chiaki, the closest thing he can do for a hug at the moment.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-05 07:33 am (UTC)[ The thick fog in Bavan had meant one of two things, but... she'd kind of suspected.
She didn't really know why - something in the air, in the way other monsters addressed her... it's been more than a few days since she--
The next whisper on the winds is urgent. ]
What happened out there?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-05 07:42 am (UTC)The scientists in Haftesal brought almost everyone back. Some people, you, and Steven still hadn't come back yet and... I wasn't sure what was going on. I still don't know where Steven is...
[He runs a hand through his hair, wincing openly.] The fog is different too, it feels like... [He trails off uncertainly.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-05 07:44 am (UTC)She closes her eyes again. ]
With the... the creature on the wastelands. What happened?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-05 07:46 am (UTC)I managed to stop it. I still died while stopping it, but it didn't hurt anyone else.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-05 07:48 am (UTC)And Beat-kun?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-05 07:52 am (UTC)He died after you did. [The guilt twists Peter up inside. He just tries to stay steady.] I wasn't able to get to him quick enough.
He's back now, safe. He came to see me. [There is relief in his voice at the thought.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-05 07:56 am (UTC)I'm so sorry...
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-05 07:57 am (UTC)It's not your fault. It'll never be your fault. Please don't... don't beat yourself up about this.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-05 08:10 am (UTC)She can't not beat herself up about this. And he doesn't have to know, does he? It's so easy to keep her thoughts to herself, to just be still. With her eyes closed and her voice quiet, she doesn't look like a person at all. She's just a tree, separate from him.
But she does care about him. So the most prominent thought in her mind surfaces, and she has to give voice to it. The tree shudders again, a little. ]
You can't die again.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-05 08:27 pm (UTC)Will something bad happen beyond the dying part-? Cause the dying part is already pretty bad.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-06 03:57 am (UTC)That was your second, wasn't it? Next time, you might forget something.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-06 04:18 am (UTC)Seriously-? I... hadn't realized. Do you lose a memory every time you die after the first two?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-06 04:39 am (UTC)[ She isn't SURE, that's just what she's heard. But Atem and Ryou count their deaths, and they've been here a lot longer. ]
So you have to be really careful now.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-06 04:46 am (UTC)How much would he even be Peter Parker if he lost his memories? Would he just be a strange giant rat? A real monster if he loses pieces of himself?]
I'll be careful. [It's a promise he can't quite keep, but he'll try.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-06 04:53 am (UTC)You have to be. Otherwise you won't be you anymore. I don't know if there's a way to stop it, or undo it.
Please, Peter-kun.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-06 05:18 am (UTC)You can't die anymore either. Neither of us- [His grip tightens on his tail, the pain making him click his teeth together, ears folding tight against his skull.] Neither of us need to lose ourselves here.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-07 03:21 am (UTC)But he's waiting for an answer, and she wants to be kind. So the tree answers as honestly as she can. ]
I'll do my best not to die. I promise.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-07 09:36 pm (UTC)Realistically, he can't make that a promise either of them can keep.] This place just keeps throwing worse and weirder stuff at us. All we can really do is try to stay safe.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-08 07:05 am (UTC)[ There's only so much safe they can be.
She's scared they're destined to die, again and again, losing themselves - or maybe dying a different way, returning to the Sea of Stars to drift, like she has for the last two weeks without knowing about the time spent there.
Are there ways out of this that aren't just delaying the inevitable? ]
What did I miss? The last two weeks?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-09 11:13 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-11 07:48 am (UTC)[ The wasteland feels incredibly recent to her, and she's still a bit haunted by it.
Though maybe not as much as she could be. She's not sure if that's scarier. She shudders a bit. ]
Have you... been recovering, too?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-11 03:14 pm (UTC)It just feels very... bizarre. We went from a really harsh survival situation back to what we call civilization and the fog followed us home.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-13 06:15 am (UTC)[ Nanami could kind of tell that something was strange about this fog. Especially since it had been hard for her to tell that she really was back home, on the peninsula, when she first woke up. ]
But fog is part of us, now, so I guess it makes sense for it to follow us.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-13 10:11 pm (UTC)[He rubs at his arms a little.] That's incredibly ominous, Chiaki. It feels like you're gonna like foretell my doom next.
[He pauses before adding.] Don't foretell my doom, please.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-14 07:40 am (UTC)I didn't mean to. Sorry, Peter-kun.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-14 06:04 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-16 07:34 am (UTC)[ Idly musing. Things she has to think about now, while she's like this. Oh... ]
Hey... I'll probably be this way all week... will you come visit me, sometimes?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-16 02:24 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-18 06:59 am (UTC)I guess... that's what I am right now.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-19 12:13 am (UTC)Are you going to just be okay here?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-21 05:03 am (UTC)[ She has to be. Where else is she supposed to go? What else is she supposed to do? She's massive. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-21 08:02 pm (UTC)I know this is gonna be weird.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-21 10:35 pm (UTC)She doesn't want to be a burden. ]
... Keep me company this week?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-22 09:08 pm (UTC)[He releases a soft laugh as a thought hits him.] I mean, if Beat and I both show up at the same time, people would think you had a rodent problem.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-24 08:45 am (UTC)[ They're her friends, and she loves them dearly. Why would she mind? ]
I probably won't go anywhere, so... you can come by whenever.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-24 05:05 pm (UTC)Are you gonna be okay food wise..?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-28 07:39 am (UTC)I ate. I'm all right.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-28 07:29 pm (UTC)When I come by, just tell me if you do need anything though. [Its an offer he leaves between them, letting Chiaki define things.]
backdated to the 8th
Date: 2022-09-09 05:52 pm (UTC)bring whoever you wanna but its gonna be a day of mf pamperin
nails did hair did clothes shopped
you can say no but youd make me cry cuz we mf need a day of jus lovin ourselves
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-09 05:58 pm (UTC)thx beat <3
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-09 08:42 pm (UTC)it's okay if I bring friends, right?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-10 01:10 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-11 07:49 am (UTC)i'm checking on everybody today, so i'll ask them
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-11 10:16 pm (UTC)early sept
Date: 2022-09-17 07:14 pm (UTC)Whenever Chiaki steps out from her apartment, she'll find a small box on her doorstep. Upon unwrapping, she'll find two embroideries in sewing hoops within.
One depicts a rolling forest scene, a familiar shaped nymph mixed amongst the tree, backlit by her game girl advance. Her expression is calm but focused. Beads make up the glow of the handheld. Beads are dotted around as highlight pieces.
The other embroidery is a simpler piece of space, Chiaki's spaceship hair clip mixed amongst the stars. A few stars are made of beads, some of just thread itself. The ship is made up mostly of beads.]
Made these for you. Hopefully, you like 'em.
-Tawna
(no subject)
Date: 2022-09-18 07:39 am (UTC)When she opens the box inside her empty apartment, she does a double-take. What?? There's so much detail here!!
She flips through her contacts-- does she have, does she have... YES.
A message appears in Tawna's inbox. ]
these are amazing!!!! tawna-san, i didn't know you did these!! these are wonderful, thank you so much!!
<Grappled>
Date: 2022-09-18 09:04 pm (UTC)I'm happy you like them! I don't do forest scenes too often, so this was a challenge.
<galagamer>
Date: 2022-09-21 05:04 am (UTC)<Grappled>
Date: 2022-09-24 07:43 pm (UTC)It takes time to figure out, but its soothing once you get the hang of it.
Oct 31st
Date: 2022-10-29 08:28 pm (UTC)i'm fine now! just went back to hill house. meant to message you sooner, but i kinda fell asleep after eating. otto is kind of doing the dad thing and hovering nearby.
i'm really sorry about... everything.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-10-29 09:58 pm (UTC)why are you apologizing though? you didn't do anything wrong
are you okay??
(no subject)
Date: 2022-10-29 11:27 pm (UTC)And breaking my promise about not dying.
I'm okay, just tired.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-10-29 11:41 pm (UTC)i'm sorry that that happened to you. you didn't deserve that
do you know if you lost anything when you died?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-10-30 04:43 pm (UTC)Still.
None of us deserved Felfri or what happened there honestly.
Not that I know of? I feel as fine as I can be. Mostly tired.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-10-31 06:22 am (UTC)felfri was a huge mess and i'd like to not go back anytime soon
anyway i feel like i should be apologizing to you, for when you found me at the theater
(no subject)
Date: 2022-10-31 03:41 pm (UTC)You didn't plan or even wanna do that, Chiaki. You felt pressured to. I feel like everyone got brainwashed pretty bad over there. Beat nearly fought me at one point.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-10-31 10:14 pm (UTC)but also i guess the fog's forces were able to help get us home
i don't know it's all sort of confusing
but if you want me to leave WEB for that i'd understand
(no subject)
Date: 2022-10-31 10:23 pm (UTC)Chiaki, I literally nearly destroyed my own universe one time (well, the me in the future Otto and Norman meet anyway). I think you're fine.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-10-31 10:34 pm (UTC)that sounds like a story
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-01 05:10 pm (UTC)Beck revealed on live TV that I was Spider-Man. My life kinda fell apart because of it. So, I like talked to this wizard guy about making people forget I was Spider-Man. The spell went wrong, somehow?? Like, the spell was summoning people who knew I was spider-man to my universe from every other universe with a Spider-Man in it, and it was like making stuff collapse. Not great!
and Otto and Norman showed up because of that. They like tried to kill me apparently, but w/e. They're cool now! Beck is also cool, but kinda cranky. Like a rabid possum you found in an attic.
Apparently I like made a new wish with the wizard guy for everyone to forget who Peter Parker was? IDK what happened after that.
The future is really confusing and weird.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-04 08:26 am (UTC)[ She can follow that part at least. ]
so this is stuff that's going to happen to you when you go back home?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-05 04:55 pm (UTC)Yeah, it is. I can't change it. I probably should just deal with it, if it means Otto and Norman get to be okay, but...
I'm not super looking forward to it. That's me being selfish tho. I need to live that, so everything will be okay.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-06 08:26 am (UTC)but i don't know how going home would really work for any of us at this point, you know? i mean, would i even be able to go home or not?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-06 09:53 pm (UTC)Norman and Otto are both really convinced we'll get home eventually. I don't know how it would work either. I don't know if I wanna go home.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-07 09:25 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-07 11:42 pm (UTC)When Beck outs me as Spider-Man, all of their lives get worse. Because they know me. I can't make their lives worse, Chiaki.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-08 09:08 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-08 03:26 pm (UTC)It's... probably stupid, but I don't want them to get hurt. I don't want my aunt to die.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-09 12:29 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-09 12:52 am (UTC)Neither option is good. Its just... a lot.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-13 10:22 am (UTC)She supposes that he could still try to be friends with them again, but... on the other hand, she understands the impulse to stay. ]
i'm sorry, peter-kun
but i'm glad i get to be your friend here, at least
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-13 09:35 pm (UTC)Thank you. I'm glad to be your friend too. I don't think I'd be me in the same way if you weren't here.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-15 10:12 am (UTC)you make me better. especially with WEB.
bakugo-kun says i'm not a hero or a villain. and maybe he's right.
but i want to do whatever good i can, at least. i want to work harder at it. so i still want to work on WEB with you if that's okay.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-15 05:41 pm (UTC)Yeah, its more than fine. Even with what happened at Felfri, I wouldn't kick you out of WEB. I know you were being pulled in a lot of directions. I wasn't doing any better either.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-18 09:15 am (UTC)okay maybe a little ]
thanks peter-kun
<3
i'll be back at headquarters soon okay? i think my changes are all done finally so i can help out again
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-18 05:02 pm (UTC)I'm gonna be checking headquarters on and off, so just tell me whenever you're coming so we can hang out or patrol w/e you want.
Did you change into something else?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-23 07:37 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-23 07:00 pm (UTC)Are you okay at least? I can kinda guess nanites wouldn't be great here.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-28 09:41 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-28 08:14 pm (UTC)The day after the deed (he needed a day to process and scream)
Date: 2022-10-29 09:43 pm (UTC)i know e+l made you feel more free an happy but listen
the shit they offer aint worth the price they gonna ask
i broke my keycard an do me a favor an
dont join aight
no matter what elias offers
he dont deserve you
(no subject)
Date: 2022-10-29 09:52 pm (UTC)josh-kun told me he was getting inside your head
i'm SO GLAD you're getting away from him :(
he doesn't deserve you either!!!!!
flying and shapeshifting were kind of nice but it wasn't worth it
it really really wasn't
(no subject)
Date: 2022-10-29 10:56 pm (UTC)shapeshiftin was fun yo ima miss it yeah but it aint worth what he
no yo i did it he didnt tell me to but his stupid little friendship stuff in my head prolly didnt help
nonna the gods worth it
(no subject)
Date: 2022-10-29 11:00 pm (UTC)friends shouldn't turn their friends against each other
if that's what he thinks friendship is i think he's wrong
you can still shapeshift though, right? you're a pooka
(no subject)
Date: 2022-10-29 11:10 pm (UTC)hes very wrong
i dunno if hell listen to anyone about what friendship is
oh uh yeah kinda but also like no
if i make myself wings now they just illusion i cant fly wid them an i can only do it once per day fer an hour now
(no subject)
Date: 2022-10-29 11:14 pm (UTC)i know you hurt a lot of people. i know you're trying to make amends
but i don't know if i can forgive him for what he did to you, beat
there's a friend of mine that he reminded me of, before. someone that was given a lot of power and had to learn how to use it
but i don't think elias is like that anymore
i think he's a force, just like the fog is. he doesn't have to listen to anyone. he just wants power
also it sounds like we gotta relearn what sort of shapeshifting you can do. do you think you could glide with pooka wings??
(no subject)
Date: 2022-10-30 01:05 am (UTC)im aight yo
an i think... i dont think he ever did
before becoming a god he was just a kid he was just seven years old or somethin yo
shit at seven i only just figured out that i wanted to board
he was just a kid and his dad fucked him over so badly and thats where hes coming from
i dont think he knows he doesn't get it hes never been a kid with memories around other kids that hasnt been as a god and hes prolly still angry and hurt and betrayed and i really wanted to help him yo but he wont listen
[A pause, a breath, he's got to breathe.]
uh... prolly not yo. our shapeshiftin more fer tricks ya know? we cant really do much wing flappies would prolly just be illusion like flying squirrel stuff? prolly just fall out the tree
sok tho! i can jump from really high places and survive anyways! ask me how i know :)
(no subject)
Date: 2022-10-30 01:11 am (UTC)well he's getting cuddle hangouts whether he likes it or not ]
maybe you're right. i can see why you wanted to help him
but he's dangerous. anybody who is going to try, needs to know that
and i don't think it's safe for you to be around him anymore. so i'm glad you're not
[ She pauses in thought before typing the next thing. ]
i didn't know that he was in your head, until josh told me. i wish i had? maybe i could have helped
i think i'm learning that it's hard for me to tell when people get affected mentally like that
but i'll try to keep an eye on if it happens again for you because i don't want you to get hurt again
also how do you know
nii-san please be careful??
(no subject)
Date: 2022-10-30 02:04 pm (UTC)ye yo thats the problem whatever he was before whatever he pretends to be now he aint it
hes inhalin fog an shes vengeance and anger an i really think its hurtin him deeper than we know
ah
squiddles no dont think that way
not even josh could help an he went into my brain
elias was in deep i spent too much time being his "friend"
you got as close as anyone else did to makin me better
[the bomb and the building. but even then, in the end, he was going to hurt her.]
was jumpin round when i first changed from high buildin to high buildin an fell
bit of a heavy landin but i survived!
scared a little kid tho made it cry felt so bad
ill be careful!!
(no subject)
Date: 2022-10-31 06:48 am (UTC)maybe if he had less,
no. we need to stay away from him for now. you especially
i trust josh-kun but i'll probably worry about him anyway
you could probably buy shapeshifting back from mana, right?
does "heavy landing" include broken bones??
(no subject)
Date: 2022-10-31 10:08 pm (UTC)prolly even worse to try it now...
i kinda wish everyone would leave elias but i also dont wanna see what he'd do if peeps just leave him like the kind of hurt he might do
yeah i could but i kinda dont wanna? i had fun wid it yeah but i dunno im feelin a typa way bout myself
no broken bones! squirrels dont get that apparently we jus sort of auto puff up an auto glide an yeah we flump a little and done
(no subject)
Date: 2022-10-31 10:12 pm (UTC)okami-san's smart, i'm glad you talked with her
[ oof she still has to check up on her ]
i think as long as people know what they're getting into it might be okay? i mean, atem-kun's with the fog for power more than anything. and felfri made it really clear what kind of god elias is
what are you thinking?? are you going to change?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-01 03:00 pm (UTC)she is yo i cant say we friends she still super mad at me but she got her head on right
ye but he lie yo i got into him first cause i wanted to help him ye but also to like help my friends an all i did was end up hurtin an helpin him
ye i think so uh pookas like... yo i aint sayin i dont like bein it ima fuckin squirrel its hilarious an fun but we also like to lie an deceive an i don think i can do that anymore
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-04 08:23 am (UTC)yeah... i dunno. maybe he can't be helped. i don't know though
i didn't know pookas were like that! i mean, besides felfri i wouldn't have known that. i guess you and peter-kun do pranks sometimes? have you thought about what you want to be instead?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-04 07:42 pm (UTC)i dunno either i hope reira can talk some sense into him
yeah i dunno if im the only one who got that shit or something but its hella bad
uh lich the most normal i felt but i kinda like werewolf yo i really kinda enjoyed jus bein a dog
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-06 08:26 am (UTC)you were such a cute werewolf! i think that'd be really good for you. also as a lich you were really funny. i think both would be really good. are there any others you'd want to try out first?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-06 04:44 pm (UTC)plus you too cute to be mad at who could be mad at you
i hope so yo i could use jus my brain goin back to normal or even jus like energetic normal i dunno
uh hm
kinda wanna try nymph wid you one day really
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-07 09:25 am (UTC)[ oh beat... ]
um, don't ask for that next month! i'm going to try being something else, i think.
but thank you, that's really sweet. i'd like that
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-11 06:34 pm (UTC)i also wanna try garg for phones an naga for josh an kelpie fer shoka!
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-13 10:23 am (UTC)now i want to do that for my friends too. the list of monsters i want to try is getting so long!!
but that definitely means at least slime, werewolf, pooka, vampire, shade, pooka, kelpie, pooka...
... i have a lot of pooka friends, i guess?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-18 02:27 am (UTC)careful wid slime its kinda oogy in the brain but you able to shapeshift more often
yo i kinda wanna try vampire too i mean the whole dyin thing not cool but
oh yeah i wanna be a spider too!
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-18 09:09 am (UTC)what do you mean by oogy?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-21 03:23 am (UTC)ye like that but times hundred
but i could be my own chair yo which was pretty wild!
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-23 07:37 am (UTC)i can be my own chair as a nymph! that's not anything different at all! i just like sitting on couches and stuff anyway cause they're soft
<Zigazigah>
Date: 2022-10-30 02:56 am (UTC)It'll be dark soon, and the boys will hopefully be asleep by the time she steps out for a little bit.
As much as she hates to be away from them...she owes it to Nanami to see her. She hasn't heard from her much since their discussion after the disastrous concert.
As such:]
Nanami, would you happen to be free tonight?
I'd like to see you.
[A pause.]
It's been awhile.
<galagamer> cw: emeto
Date: 2022-10-30 03:38 am (UTC)She rolls over after a nap to check her laptop and squints at the new message from Trish. ]
i'm free
wanna come over? i'm at this address
[ insert whatever address the TWEWY house is at ]
<Zigazigah>
Date: 2022-10-30 06:38 am (UTC)Trish can say with confidence she's never been to this location. So why...?]
That's a new one.
What happened to your apartment, Nanami? Did you move?
<galagamer> 1/2
Date: 2022-10-30 06:50 am (UTC)josh-kun and the others are letting me stay here while i'm sick
<galagamer>
Date: 2022-10-30 06:50 am (UTC)i'm not contagious it's just changes and also nanites
<Zigazigah> CRIES ABOUT HOW MUCH I LOVE NANAMI
Date: 2022-10-30 06:58 am (UTC)Being ill from changes is different. Although usually bloodier. There's really no winning here, except for the fact changes aren't contagious.
Hopefully "Josh-kun" has been taking good care of her?]
If you're sure, Nanami. Just remember you can say no if you're feeling poorly, I really wouldn't mind waiting.
So I ask again: are you feeling up to it? And do they mind strangers coming to their house? That's important too.
[Please do not knife her for being a strange bear on your porch, "Josh-kun".]
<galagamer>
Date: 2022-10-30 07:00 am (UTC)[ She does mean this even if she's been exhausted. Look. There's only so much Tetris and Peninsula of Passions you can do before you start to get bored. ]
wait let me check
[ ... ]
yeah it's fine!!
<Zigazigah>
Date: 2022-10-30 07:30 am (UTC)[Trish isn't nearly as punctual as Fugo, but she will appear around the hour mark, with a gift from Toni in tow – a huge bag of chocolate-drizzled biscotti, enough for Nanami and her gracious hosts.
Somewhere between home and here, too, she's taken off her bear skin, draping it low around her elbows and looking distinctly more human than her day form. Not completely human, of course, but the closest she'll ever get here on the peninsula. There's a reason for this, and that she's not really interested in strangers looking upon her bear form at this point in time. It's nice to have a choice, actually.
Anyways, she taps her still-fuzzy knuckles gently but firmly on the door. Hewwo, is Nanami home?]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-10-30 07:37 am (UTC)Be right there!!
[ She wraps the blanket around herself and moves to the door. When she opens it for her friend, she's all wrapped up; her nearly fully-transformed roots visible poking out below the blanket, and her face wooden but still somewhat fleshier than it usually is when she's a nymph. The fronds that make up her hair don't quite seem to have the right structure to them, falling more like hair than like leaves.
She's exhausted, but she gives Trish a tired smile when she sees her. ] Hey... you made it. [ Back to Ryslig; and now again, to her. ] Come on in...
(no subject)
Date: 2022-10-30 07:49 am (UTC)Back to nymph, it seems, and the poor thing looks like the change is taking its time with her. Trish doesn't understand why some people come back as if nothing ever happened, and then there are unfortunate folk like Nanami that have to do the whole song and dance again.
Maybe it's because of how deeply Nanami fell into E+L's ranks, taking the nanites into her body, but that's mere conjecture. Also, she doesn't want to think much on Elias, the bastard.]
Buona serata, Nanami.
[Trish will step next to Nanami quickly, putting a hand on the door to prop it on her friend's behalf. She's taller, you can't stop her, Nanami.]
After you. Please, I insist.
[She doesn't know where she's going anyway. It's up to the world's sweetest tree to be her guide.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-10-30 08:02 am (UTC)Really, the turning into the tree part sucks but it could be worse. It's the nanites that are really fucking her up.
When Nanami speaks, she's a little hoarse, like she's recently lost her voice but is on the mend. She nods gratefully at Trish's gesture, and moves back into the house. Somewhat more smoothly than she walked on wiry half-legs when she was aligned with the caves, but not quite as smoothly as normal when she's in her nymph form. Things are still growing back; she's still relearning it all.
Nanami's set herself up in the living room; her game console sits discarded on the couch where she left it, the screen turned off for now; and her laptop set to Trish's messages is next to it. The television still plays Peninsula of Passions at a very low volume. ]
Thanks for coming, I... I really missed you. [ It's been ages, she realizes. Not since the concert went bad have they seen each other.
Once she's led Trish into the room, she isn't able to hold herself back for long, and then she's hugging Trish tight before the werebear can object. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-10-30 09:31 am (UTC)She has...no idea what Nanami went through after her arrest and ejection back to Ryslig, but if the boys are any indicator, then staying Felfri only continued to get worse. The fact Nanami survived all the way through is incredible and a true testament to her tenacity, Trish thinks.
Here in "Josh-kun's" house, Nanami has set up an almost perfect mirror of her apartment, and Trish feels a gentle fondness at the sight, and she could laugh hearing the familiar murmur of Peninsula of Passions. Oh, old timey television, her beloathed and yet constant companion on her nights as a bear.
The backdrop of this little vignette of everything she knows about Nanami becomes that much softer at the edges when Nanami herself speaks. Trish has said all kinds of things in the aftermath of the concert and Felfri itself, long-winded diatribes and pithy exchanges both, but what Nanami says is so simple and yet so much stronger than all the words she could have said herself. It's weird to think she's in a place now where people can miss her.
She's gotten used to missing people herself, she thought, but something rises to her throat when she feels the gentle pressure of Nanami's arms around her.
There's a delay, and Trish gently lets her bag go, all so she can return the gesture, enveloping Nanami in the puffy arms of her coat.]
...It's good to see you again, Nanami.
[It has been some time, hasn't it?
Awful to think that Nanami's last memory of her had to be that, but now she's here, and they're both...they're not fine, but they're better.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-10-31 03:39 am (UTC)[ She buries her face in Trish's shirt; and it's only now, this close, that she realizes how strange it is for Trish to be only partly transformed, as she is. Not fully human, like in Felfri; but there's enough little touches of animalistic traits to her face that Trish is much less fuzzy than Nanami expected her to be.
That coat, though, sure is warm and fluffy.
After a while Nanami breaks up the hug, and rubs her eyes. ] I can make you some tea... are you still changing back, too...?
[ She moves a room over into the kitchen to put the kettle on. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-10-31 04:35 am (UTC)This one doesn't like to be touched, but there's exceptions. There's always exceptions. Nanami is one of those.
She's only ever been hugged by her mother with any regularity, so she's admittedly not sure when to move away, and after everything Nanami has been through, she deserves as long of an embrace as she needs, and not a second less. So when Nanami pulls away, she steps back just once to give the girl space, and Nanami, ever a busy bee, immediately is struck by wherever whim takes her, which in this case happens to be the kitchen.
In the meantime, Trish nudges the bag with her foot, pushing it closer to the couch, before following Nanami into the kitchen. She's nosy, and maybe there's signs of who exactly Nanami is staying with.
For example: is the kitchen spotless, or filthy?]
Tea sounds perfect. Abbacchio has been giving me tea with a dash of honey every night these past few weeks that it's starting to become habit.
[As for that question, Trish hums.]
And no, I'm not. I was back to being a werebear as soon as I woke up in the arcade.
[It's hard to see the bear part anymore besides the fact she's hairy, but not overtly so. And her tail is a nub, never to be seen in this form unless she deigns to remove her coat.
Still, it's a curious detail. Did all the ones who got shunted back early revert instantly compared to those who came through the portal vis a vis their allegiances?]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-10-31 06:19 am (UTC)But the more time she spends in Ryslig, the more times she dies and the more horrible events she goes through, the more shameless she's gotten about it. All of the current residents of the house have been hugged by Nanami now - in most cases more than once - and Trish and her companions themselves haven't been immune to this, either.
As for the kitchen, it's about the state of mess you might expect for a house in which three teenage boys live. There's a few dirty dishes in the kitchen, and somebody left out a box of cereal on the counter recently. But it's otherwise fairly tidy. Trish will find Nanami bustling between different cabinets, getting the ingredients. It makes her happy to know Trish has a specific order, rather than trying to guess what she might like. ]
That's kind of Abbacchio-kun... it's a nice way to soothe your throat... [ Trish does sound hoarse. She wonders why that is? She isn't coughing up nanites, surely?
But Trish's other comment deserves more attention. ] But you aren't right now-- so how...
[ Her gaze falls to Trish's coat, and her eyes get very wide. She very carefully deposits the little box of teabags on the counter before she drops it instead. ] I've read about this!!! You're using your skinchanger ability!
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-01 07:10 am (UTC)Losing people is scary...but never knowing them at all is not less painful and deeply lonely.
Trish's inspection of the kitchen, meanwhile, yields a space that isn't spotless...but frankly ordinary. As such, she deems it acceptable.
She finds it funny, too, how easily excitable Nanami is. Her ability here isn't nearly as impressive as her Stand, but that doesn't seem to matter to Nanami.]
It's nice, isn't it? Otherwise I would've worried about coming to visit you, only to find I can't fit through the door.
[She sweeps across the tile floor, then, to join Nanami.
While it's nice of Nanami to be such a gracious host, she's the one who's sick!]
Would you like a hand? Since I've got actual hands to offer now, as you've seen.
[Very funny.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-01 07:25 am (UTC)[ Now she peers down the hall, actually, at the front door, trying to visualize Trish's massive werebear form. She frowns a bit, concentrating as she tries to figure out whether the bear would actually fit.
This would be a lot easier if she had like a tape measure or something. Oh well.
That's just enough time for Trish to come in and start helping her, while she's distracted. ] Oh! Sure...
[ She steps back from the counter respectfully before she has to cough into one of her elbows. Then she watches Trish, fascinated anew by her friend. ]
The coat... that's your skin? Do you change back to normal if you put it on?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-02 05:21 am (UTC)Anyways, if Nanami is going to relinquish her space after helpfully gathering everything, Trish is simply going to take over for her entirely. Can't stop her.
She sets about making tea for two in earnest, not looking up from her task as she answers:]
Probably some facsimile of it, otherwise I'd be horrifying to look at.
[Again, very funny, Trish.
She waits for the water to boil.]
From what I can gather, it works exactly like other werebears have described, although I wait until I start to feel awful before I put it back on properly.
Do you want some honey with your tea, by the way?
[She heard that, you know! One could say they're sore throat buddies.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-04 07:24 am (UTC)[ While Trish works, Nanami rests on the counter near her, watching her work. It occurs to her to glance at the bag Trish brought with her - she thought she smelled something sweet from it, but isn't sure whether she should assume it needs to be unpacked or not. ]
That's like... it lasts you an hour, right? [ Just gonna gently touch Trish's coat. It's not Trish's fur so it's not weird. The coat is silky soft and very poofy. It seems comfortable. ]
It's too bad it wouldn't turn me into a bear if I put it on...
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-04 07:47 am (UTC)[Trish replies as she sets to steeping the tea.
Here she is making gross jokes when Nanami is being as sweet as can be. Or maybe she's simply that unflappable in the face of gore jokes when they live as monsters now. Either way, Trish let's the comparison to the Sanrio bear go without shrugging it off this time.
They can enjoy the snack bag she brought once the tea is ready; in the meantime, Nanami makes an interesting comment, and Trish hums, watching Nanami's hand draw a trail in the fluffy fur of her coat.]
Are you sure about that, Nanami? I've never heard of another monster trying on a werebear's coat.
You might be the first.
[She would understand if the idea is unappealing too.
Imagine wearing a part of someone you know. That's inherently weird.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-04 07:59 am (UTC)I don't think it would work... it's only a power that werebears have...
[ But she's not sure... and surely the only way to try it would be science, right?
... Is it gauche to ask your friend if you can try on her skin. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-05 09:31 am (UTC)Also, if it's gauche to ask, it's probably weirder to offer.
But it's also a sign of trust. After Lusamine's poor fate of losing her coat, Trish is aware that could happen, but she can't remotely imagine Nanami doing anything to hurt her in any way. Not purposefully. Besides, they're indoors. There's not a lot of places a big, bulky coat can disappear into, not in a house this small. The palazzo would be a different story.
Trish finishes up with the tea, stirring honey into both mugs with a hum.]
Maybe so...but it's magic, and magic is mutable. For every rule there is an exception.
[She sets the spoon down with a clink, pushing a mug towards her leafy friend.
Trish continues:]
Let's head back to the living room. I think sitting somewhere warm will do us both good while we experiment.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-06 08:26 am (UTC)[ Magic never does feel like it's fully explained, does it? After all, the Guide she loves so much -well, its information is only partly right, because the Fog's magic produces such variation in all of Her monsters. Nanami's experiences there never seem to quite line up with what Spengler predicted.
She takes her mug and thoughtfully looks into it as they move back into the living room. What if there's countless tricks to being a monster that none of them have figured out yet, just because they haven't tried the right thing?
Well, in any case, now she's actually kind of hoping the trick they're about to try works.
She sets her mug down on the little table in the living room, and then turns to Trish. The ceiling here is a bit higher than in the kitchen, at least. ] Okay! May I see your coat?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-07 08:23 am (UTC)After all, between Sex Pistols being a group of sentient bullets that have salami for lunch whenever they want, Gold Experience turning pens into eyeballs, and non-sapient animals having Stands, it turns into a mess of possibilities and unique situations with rules as flexible as her own power. All this to say she isn't thinking about practical experimentation of monster forms and abilities the way Nanami is, but that speaks to their different minds.
Trish sets her mug down as well, slipping her coat off and instead of answering, she flicks said coat over Nanami's head to drape it around her small shoulders. It's much warmer on the inside than it was on the outside!]
Just be careful not to drag it on the floor.
[She'll let Nanami get comfortable with it from there. The nymph can keep it around her shoulders or put it on properly. Whatever she'd like.
For her part, Trish will settle onto the couch, mindful of Nanami's things. She waits a moment, raising a brow as she appraises the newly furred nymph.]
Feel any different?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-08 09:07 am (UTC)Look, Trish has a bigger build than her. It's fine.
She wraps the fur around her, putting her arms through the armholes. Maybe it only works once it's on correctly?... Trish was wearing it a little low before.
She waits for several long moments for the magic to work. ]
... Warm. [ Slight disappointment. She presses her fingers against the fur again, as if that'll do anything; it does not. ] I guess it's just for you...
[ Ah well, that makes sense. But it would have been nice if Nanami was wrong.
She settles down on the couch with Trish, still wearing the coat. Being such a brightly colored pink companion to Trish makes her think of Spice Girl; and the fur makes her as soft as Spice's power, too. ]
Spice-san... she didn't come back with you, did she? [ They only met briefly, but Nanami finds her missing the stand. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-09 07:04 am (UTC)Anyways, the whole point was to get Nanami warm and comfortable, so even if they haven't made her a bear in a single instance of experimentation, Trish thinks this is better anyway. Nanami would probably enjoy being a bear, actually...but that's for another day, should Nanami wish to experiment. Still, it's a little sad to see her disappointed? Nanami always has a capacity for wonder about even the strangest things.
It's sweet.]
It was worth a try.
[Trish says, gentle, while Nanami settles in. She's keeping the coat, so she must at least enjoy that.
And then the nymph says that, and Trish makes a soft noise of surprise. It still catches her off-guard to have the capacity to be missed by other people, and she never imagined the same for her Stand. Spice Girl was an anomaly for the eyes of so few until Felfri, you know?
Spice-san...Miss Spice. That nearly makes Trish smile.
She leans to pick up her mug, taking in a long, soothing sip. It's nice against the rawness of her throat. Only after does she answer, mug held securely between two hands adorned with a dense collection of fur along the backs of them that trail down her forearms.]
...No, and yes. Spice Girl as you met her isn't able to manifest anymore. But if you'll remember, she's the shape of my soul, power and all.
In a sense, she's always here.
[I am you.
She'd said that, but even Nanami can tell the difference. What does it mean when a Stand can, well, stand on their own as a separate entity? With what she'd learned about Doppio and Diavolo, what does it say that she has another mind separate from her own?]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-09 07:20 am (UTC)[ Nanami stares into her tea. The heat from the mug and from the jacket is all warm and cozy; maybe when she changes fully back, this sort of thing won't be as good for her wooden body. It's a little sad to think about.
And so is the absence of Trish's stand, as Nanami sips from her own mug and lets the honeyed tea that Trish carefully made soothe her throat. ]
It's still too bad... that she can't be here. It's like being without a friend...
[ Spice was nice to talk to. And she saw the easy friendship that she and Trish had, talking together. Certainly Trish seems to have more affection for her overall than Abbacchio did with Moody. ]
I hope you can see her again someday. [ It must be possible, right? Hopefully? She gives Trish a gentle smile before taking another sip. ] And I'm really glad I could meet her.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-10 09:07 am (UTC)Fur makes fur coats redundant, for example, which makes her glad her fur mostly vanishes when she doffs her skin and negates that problem for at least some portion of the day.
It makes her angry, as always, but Nanami manages to make her feel lighter. She's gentle in her words and sweet to regard Spice Girl so fondly for how little time she got to know the Stand. After months of being unable to both here and back home, it was nice to share in the marvel of it all.
Trish hums, a grumbly timber. Not intentionally so, but her throat makes her sound more like her monster than she ever has, really.]
You're right, it's not the same. I like to think that the moment we find a way to free our powers from the constraints put on us...she'll appear when I call.
She always had, even before I knew she was there.
[Felfri was unusual in every regard. Spice is practical to a fault, and really only appeared unprompted because of the huge, unprecedented gap in her understanding between when she was last conscious and then. After all, she said it herself: she'd been at Trish's side since Trish was little. It's weird to think about, that she had a constant companion she could neither see nor hear until meeting other Stand users prompted her own untapped potential to fully awaken.
It must've been lonely. Is the way she feels now the way Spice felt, or was Spice simply content to be there for her in the tiny capacity she could? Trish takes another thoughtful sip of her tea.]
Regardless, I'm not too worried. She's safe with me, so I'd rather focus on the friends I've got who aren't literally a part of my heart...like you.
It's why I came to see you. I won't lie and say I wasn't worried sick over everyone left behind in Felfri. So I'm happy to see you with my own eyes.
Thank you for the peace of mind, Nanami.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-13 10:22 am (UTC)But she's struggled with that, as a nymph. Maybe because her nymph form keeps changing and morphing almost every month, but that can't be the only reason; even in the intervening weeks between changes, she's found it hard to grow comfortable with her form.
It can't be helped, she supposes - except that it can; and Felfri, among many other things, was a reminder of that. Already ideas are starting to form in the gamer's head. ]
I've had a thought about that... [ She's murmuring it quietly enough that Trish might miss it, especially since it's followed by a few more hacking coughs.
The other part of the conversation, though, makes her feel warm. She feels almost too flustered to look at her friend, so instead she sips into her tea, letting the emotion hit her. ]
Th-thank you too... I've been so so worried about everyone...
You know they're not all back yet? Hinata-kun and Okami-san... I've been... checking the apartments for them, but...
[ She shakes her head. ] I just want everybody to be safe... [ Or at least, the Ryslig facsimile of it. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-15 08:03 am (UTC)[Trish starts, but then Nanami is coughing, and she can't do anything for the nymph, but she does wince sympathetically. Nothing escapes werebear ears.
Nanami keeps her gaze down, though, and Trish peers down at her own cup, idly swirling the tea therein.
She remembers what Hinata said, although she's surprised that he didn't come stumbling out soon after her boys did. What is he doing, she wonders? Nanami supplies a new name too, but the blending of Ryslig's magic and the meaning of the word is not lost on her. They don't have very many mutual wolf friends!
And the last she saw of Mukuro, well...she was in that video, so she rallied herself back around to her usual level of function.
Trish shakes her head, almost defiantly.]
I'm sure they're fine. Hinata promised me he would come back in one piece, and I'm holding him to it. And if she's with him, there's not much that could trouble them.
[Hinata is a surprisingly vicious fighter. He'd proved it once before, but Felfri only solidified that reality.
Mukuro, meanwhile, is unparalleled. A soldier by trade doesn't lose easily. Even if all it takes is one bad situation, she believes in them.
A thought occurs to Trish.]
But since they're gone, you came here. Am I right?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-15 10:12 am (UTC)[ She settles into the coat. It's warm and makes her a little sleepy. But maybe that's just the coziness of the situation.
Still, talking about her friends makes her a little uneasy - for several reasons. ] I hope you're right... enough of us died over there.
... I came back with Shoka-chan, and got sick pretty quickly afterwards... so I've been staying here. It's... easier than being alone in the apartment.
[ She puts her cup down, and hugs her legs close. Soon enough they won't be legs at all - maybe another day before their splitting goes thru its last stages, and she'll have her roots again. Her roots that should be natural to her by now, but which she's going to have to learn to use again. ]
I'm worried... I think I really messed up in Felfri... I don't know if they'll be able to look at me the same way...
(no subject)
Date: 2022-12-13 06:34 am (UTC)She's right, too, and it reminds Trish of all the death and fear they endured at the wastes, and how Felfri pretended to be different until it got bored of pretending. But it was different, because in the wastes it was easy to band together. There was a common enemy somewhere, whether it be the monstrosities lurking about or the sheer lack of shelter and food.
Felfri presented choices.
It must be why Nanami says such a thing, and Trish takes a sip of her tea, considering the words she wants to say. But she doesn't know if Nanami is talking about the obvious, or something else, and thus it's worth asking after details.
Assuming Nanami wants to give them, of course.]
...You say that like you've done something unforgivable.
[She regards Nanami with gentle green eyes.]
I noticed you're harder on yourself than you are on anyone else. Knowing those two...I'd be shocked if they were upset with you. Mukuro isn't the type to shy away if you reach out to her, even if she were upset.
[She'd at least let there be some words about it. Trish knows that well.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-12-13 09:34 am (UTC)I want to talk with them... I don't want to lose them, or anything...
But I just think... I guess... that I could have made better choices...
[ She stares into her tea. ] I got everyone in trouble... after the concert... and then I didn't help like I could have... I stayed with the police state...
I should have... fought back more... instead of just waiting... I know that now, though...
(no subject)
Date: 2022-12-14 08:34 am (UTC)Nanami's fears are understandable. She doesn't seem like the type to fight with her friends much, certainly not in the knock down-drag out way Trish herself has engaged in more than a few times in the past. Indeed, Trish can hardly imagine Nanami raising her voice at any person, no matter how much they browbeat her. Soft, gentle Nanami...
Of course she'd only turn in on herself, attacking the one person who won't fight back. The one person who she feels is responsible for any bad feelings between her and her friends. But it's always more complicated than that, just like being friends with someone like Mukuro can be complicated for some and very simple for others.
That being said, she does have strong feelings about the idea of "fighting back". She has no illusions her fate played out the way it did because she was given the means to fight, that not using those means would be a betrayal of what others had given up for her. But Nanami...
Really, Nanami is the normal girl Trish used to be, and she immediately feels protective of that. Once you lose that...there's not really any going back. She could tell the marks left on her by her own experience pained Bruno deeply.
Trish. You'ved faced more demons than you should have.]
Nanami, not everyone is meant to fight. We all have a role, and if everyone was tossed to the front lines, where would that leave us, really?
[Trish taps her claws on her mug. She says this, but she knows the agony of feeling helpless.
She fought that in little ways, contributing her thoughts where she could, watching over Narancia the rest of the time, especially with how often he was injured...Nanami contributed to Felfri in her own ways, didn't she?]
...I would never resent you for prioritizing your safety over participating in a battle you couldn't possibly win.
I doubt those two would either. If they expressed any anger towards you, you have to ask yourself where that anger came from. I'm sure the answer isn't as straightforward as you believe it to be.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-12-16 10:09 am (UTC)[ She sets her tea down before she accidentally spills it in her distress. Grips her knobbly knees, half-wooden and so close to reverting fully back into their complicated root system. Frustrating to deal with, but at least more complete than the half-changes of the fog caves. ]
Just because it was hard doesn't mean I couldn't have done it. The caves... s-sucked, but... th-that doesn't mean I couldn't have gone back. And I should have. I could have helped, somehow...
[ She buries her face in her hands, miserably. She doesn't even know that her friends are upset with her; but she sees what they've done, and she sees just how far she's come short of what she holds dear - the ability to protect as many of the people that she cares about as she can. No, instead she sat by and waited, and it's eating her up inside. ]
me laughing writing this bc Nanami is super dead in her canon. dangans have many problems
Date: 2022-12-20 07:31 am (UTC)Being helpless is a unique agony that is as dire as it is tedious. You watch, you listen, you wait. There is nothing else than to be pushed and pulled by the whims of others, to a fate you would never choose for yourself. It's not even necessarily safe, just safer.
Joining a battle is different. When you're inexperienced, you can be more hindrance than help, and she was never experienced enough to truly learn on what little time they had together in Italy. She imagines Nanami is the same, and Felfri presented a opportunity the way Ryslig itself does. Specifically, to give power to the powerless in the form of conditional changes offered by a god.
And she's torn, because on the other hand, the one that weighs most heavily...she wants to impress upon Nanami the importance of standing up for what's right but not at the cost of her safety. There has to be a happy medium somewhere. More than anything, she wants to soothe Nanami's pain, especially when the nymph cages herself behind the shield of her hands.
She leans to set aside her own mug of tea, then sits up straighter, mulling over her words.]
That's not quite what I meant. It's not about what's hard, but what's practical.
[She thinks about Bruno, cold and tactical in his decisions. She remembers how it made her angry.
She remembers how his choices were ultimately sound, were ultimately the ones that saved them. She remembers how an irrational, selfless decision got him killed.]
The worst thing you can do is put yourself in a position where you're a detriment to yourself and others. I genuinely believe the choice you made to stay safe afforded them the focus they needed in a way they couldn't have had if they'd split their attention between you and their goals.
[Hinata and Mukuro don't waste an ounce of energy on anything that isn't a goal. That's the impression she has of them. Tireless, focused. But if friends are at stake, she's found they share a lot in common with her own cadre of boys...
They'd do anything for each other. Absolutely anything.]
Helping people isn't always going to be glamorous, and it's not always going to feel good. If you're weighed down by guilt...it's because you're kind. You want to help your friends carry a heavy burden where you can.
But you shouldn't add to it either. Back home, I stayed out of the way when it was necessary, which was often seeing as I was a very newly awakened Stand user. I hated it, but I was more useful alive than dead.
[In a way, her death would've betrayed Bruno's goals. He fought hard to keep her alive, and doing anything less than living a full life would betray that sacrifice.]
pinch with the hot dangan takes of 2022, next up: murder games bad, probably
Date: 2022-12-26 10:21 am (UTC)She doesn't want to be a burden. She's so scared of it. But it's so hard to tell whether doing nothing, or doing something but badly, would be worse. ]
Maybe I have to... train or something... but I have this power, Trish-san, I can't just do nothing with it...
[ She rubs her eyes and takes another sip of her tea. Everything feels cloudy, and she's tired, still so drained from the events of the month. ]
How do you decide... when to do something? [ She finally looks up at Trish again, pulling the coat tighter around her. ] How do you know?
murder games good, actually >:0
Date: 2022-12-27 09:28 am (UTC)Trish turns this statement over and over and over again in her mind, struck by it. By the pure intention in it, but also the concept of power and responsibility.
If you have power, is it your duty to use it? She wondered about that, considering she'd had a power since she was young that never would have manifested without the contact with other Stand users, the pressure of danger summoning every ounce of her will to the surface. She thinks about Spice Girl too, as she has so often since Felfri, and her Stand's firm resolve.
She thinks about Diavolo, and how different things would be if he had turned away from his own awakening to unspeakable power.
She thinks about Bruno having the power to change fate, and seeing that power bolstered by those around him until change was achieved. Painfully, not without sacrifice, but enough to budge an immovable stone in a way that would change everything for so many people.
Trish brings a hand to her lips, thoughtful.]
I'm not going to lie to you and say there's a shining moment of perfect clarity, where you look into yourself and see the right answer waiting like it'd been there all along. There's never going to be a time when you're absolutely sure that your choice is the right one. Not until it's over and done with.
What I do know is this: the word "choice" implies intent, sure, but when I say it I'm speaking more about making a decision when you hardly have time to make one. I like to think deeply about what it is I want to do, but too often the only thing that stands between yourself and certain death is the ability to decide how the encounter happens.
It's the breath of an instant, and maybe you choose wrong. But other times...you turn it into a dance. You find you're able to keep making decisions. You take risks, and you're rewarded for those risks. You learn how to push your advantage.
Sometimes, your decisions change the tide entirely in your favor.
So I'd say what you want isn't about power, not remotely. It's about presence of mind. That's far stronger and more useful to you than any scrap of power tossed to you by the fog.
Not to imply you shouldn't train your body and find your strengths. But when I look at you, I see someone not too different from myself. Neither of us are made to fight...but that doesn't exclude us from having to do so. That doesn't mean we should strive to become what we aren't, because we'll always fall short in some way.
No...what we ought to be is our best selves. Know yourself inside and out. Know your strengths. When you've got that, you'll find where you belong no matter the context. You'll start to make decisions that are right for you and everyone you care about.
[All of this is spoken softly, in a gentle, even cadence. One that sounds familiar, perhaps.
Trish tilts her head.]
Does that make sense, Nanami?
PINCH IS JUNKO CONFIRMED?!??!?!
Date: 2022-12-27 10:31 am (UTC)It's like the saying goes on airplanes - you have to put your own mask on before helping the person next to you. It's a saying Nanami never really understood, but now she's beginning to grasp it. Know yourself, and the rest comes easily.
She lets the coat fall where she's sitting, and scooches over to be closer to Trish; then wraps her woodening arms around the mostly-not-werebear herself. ]
Thank you. I hadn't really-- I-- yeah. You're right. I need to-- figure that out, first. Me. And then-- and then the rest.
[ She sniffs a bit, and then laughs. ] I mean-- I mean, the most powerful I've felt so far, was in the wasteland, or in the Reaper's Game, when I'd been one thing for a little while... so... I guess it doesn't really make sense to train if I'm going to be changing so often, huh?
IM NOT COOL OR UNHINGED ENOUGH
Date: 2022-12-29 08:51 am (UTC)She's quiet, then, moving gently from under the boughs of Nanami's embrace to drape an arm around the nymph.
But when Nanami does speak, she sounds so much lighter, and she touches on a good point Trish neglected to mention. Enough the not-so-werebear shakes with a small laugh herself.]
No, it certainly doesn't. I know you try to put your all into everything you do, Nanami, but for this one...just enjoy the process of discovery.
Enjoy being you.
[Not that this solves the absence of Nanami's friends...but hopefully she can greet them with her shoulders feeling a fraction lighter.
Because really, Trish gets it. Finding a niche is hard. Not knowing what your role is, it's isolating and frustrating. It makes all actions uncertain and lonely and contentious. That's when you find out who you are and what you want and you make that space for yourself. Libeccio is a monument to this belief for her part.
What will Nanami build?]
(x)
Date: 2023-01-01 05:34 am (UTC)[ She rubs at her eyes, a bit more sunken into her face than they usually are - before long they'll be hollow in the bark of her face, again. ]
I want you to enjoy that too. I'm so glad that-- that you got to use your skinchanger ability...
[ She squeezes Trish tight before unwrapping from her friend and scooching back over to where she left Trish's fur. Holds it up, marveling again at how soft and warm it is. ]
I think it'll help you... feel more like yourself... I know that's hard for you, sometimes...
smh
Date: 2023-01-06 09:07 am (UTC)But this place is unfamiliar, with equally unfamiliar smells.
She's pulled out of that reverie when Nanami squeezes her, and Trish lets a hand trail from Nanami's back, and along her elbow, until the nymph is back in her spot on the other side of the couch.
As for what she says...it's true, but it's always more complicated than that. It does help to enjoy something closer to her proper body though, instead of the façade crafted for her by the fog. It's the closest to correct she can be when it comes to refusing to let Ryslig set a proper foot in her heart.]
Mm. Being able to stay out of the bear body for a little while, especially whenever I choose...it's nice.
[It's freeing, in more ways than she can express.
Trish settles comfortably against the couch.]
That being said...I think you have the capacity to be more comfortable with yourself than I do even with this ability.
I'm curious to see where you end up. I'm excited to meet the you that you've got the potential to be.
(no subject)
Date: 2023-01-06 10:45 am (UTC)Trish always knows what to say to lift her up. She's deeply thoughtful; one of the most supportive friends that Nanami has, which is saying something. ]
Me too... I don't really know who that is yet, but... I want to find out. [ Her eyes practically glow - not quite like they did in Felfri, but there's an excited light in them. ] I want to figure out which self to be... there's just so many more options than I thought there would be!
[ An echo to conversations she's had on the network under an anonymous handle - but it's Trish, so it's not really a big deal to say that sort of thing, right? ]
(no subject)
Date: 2023-01-08 08:15 pm (UTC)But her friends deserve to be happy. Seeing Nanami miserable and leaving her like that is unconscionable. Listening to her laugh and seeing her smile even with the very real concerns she's had...it makes her feel light. Maybe even lighter than she does when she first doffs her skin for the night.
As for what Nanami says, it's...weirdly familiar, but Trish doesn't dwell on it. She did open this avenue of conversation, and she'll shake her head lightly. Not in disagreement, but rather a fondly helpless gesture.]
It'll seem like that. But it's like I said – you'll find your decisions will carry you in a specific direction.
So who you are to yourself, it ought to become clearer and clearer with time. I believe that wholeheartedly.
[Trish reaches for her mug of tea again, settling back and looking every part the picture of laziness. Join her in being a slug, Nanami.]
But don't worry about any of that right now. What you should do now is rest.
(no subject)
Date: 2023-01-10 10:09 am (UTC)But for now, Nanami nods, leans back, sips her tea sleepily. It's been a long day (a long month); and this has been a long and emotionally draining conversation - but also a refreshing one, and Nanami needed to talk out a lot of this. ]
I can do that... I think. Thank you... [ She rubs her eyes. ] Maybe I'll finish changing tonight... do you wanna stay over? There's games and television... [ Just how nocturnal ARE you, miss pink werebear? ]
(no subject)
Date: 2023-01-12 09:33 am (UTC)Anyways, Trish feels lighter herself watching Nanami settle back comfortably. If she doesn't do anything to stop Trish, the skin-changed werebear will reach to toss her coat across Nanami's waist. Be cozy, friend.
That's partly an answer in and of itself, but Trish adds, mid-fling:]
Of course I want to. The whole reason I came was to spend time with you.
[Leaving after one conversation is silly! Although she wasn't going to presume she could stay, so the invitation is grabbed by two eager hands.
And Trish is in fact very nocturnal, and usually malingers around with Fugo or Abbacchio in the dead of night, when everyone else is asleep and the television selection is even worse than usual. But that hardly matters when she's not alone.
Nanami isn't alone here to begin with, but Trish knows different people do different things for one another. Whatever niche she fills for Nanami...she hopes it's just the one the nymph needed tonight.
With all that said and done, Trish will then reach to pull a blanket thrown over the back of the couch to and over herself, looking every bit the lazy bear somehow when she settles back, even when she's only got the barest facial fur, her tiny fangs poking out with her conspiratorial smile.]
As long as your housemates don't mind a surprise bear in the morning. I'll change back before the night is over, after all.
(no subject)
Date: 2023-01-12 10:51 am (UTC)[ "Pretty friendly" is a bit of an understatement, really. To Nanami, this house is starting to feel like home; and its inhabitants are starting to feel like family.
Trish herself kind of does, too.
Nanami flips on the television, and then reaches for her console, discarded where she left it when Trish first arrived. Scooches over next to Trish so Trish can have a turn if she wants, or just look over her shoulder. ]
Did I show you Gala Omega before?... [ That day when Nanami first turned into a tree, they'd gone to the arcade - but Nanami's home collection isn't something she's had time to show her friend. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2023-01-13 09:52 am (UTC)But if Nanami is resting comfortably with her...yeah, okay, no, all possible intimidation is gone. This is her reminder that she is – if not an ominous presence when puttering around as an unknown entity – an otherwise cuddly bear. Ptooie.
Trish glances down when the nymph is shoulder to shoulder with her, first at the top of Nanami's head, then to the console in her hands. She squints at the screen and the name, but neither of them conjure any strong memory. She did like the dancing game, so she remembers that, but "Gala Omega" sounds like a different genre entirely.]
No, I don't think you have. I'm going to assume the "gala" in the title isn't referring to a fancy party.
[No dresses or mingling, alas.
Almost certainly explosions though. Video games seem to love blowing stuff the fuck up if they aren't plastering numbers on the screen and shouting about how well or poorly you're doing.]
(no subject)
Date: 2023-01-23 10:45 am (UTC)[ And she'll turn the console towards Trish, explaining how the game works and how she follows the patterns - getting a perfect score every round.
She explains, too, how she's played it thru hundreds of times, sometimes many times in a row, and it's the best game she knows - basically, Trish gets the entire hyperfocus infodump.
After all, it's Nanami's favorite game, enough that no matter what form she's in, she still wears the ship as a hairpin - her friend deserves to know every detail! ]
wraps this <33
Date: 2023-02-02 07:17 am (UTC)[Gala Omega.
It's important to Nanami, and even if Trish will feel the explanation of the game's mechanics slip away – not unlike fine sand between her fingers – what remains is Nanami's pure, exuberant love for the game itself.
And that?
That's something she can understand.
It's nice to listen to her friend's excitement. It's nice to see Nanami's hand go through delighted, practiced motions. It's nice to sit here and share in Nanami's experience, and feel the nearly-nymph list and sway in her spot and confirm with every movement that she's here, and still the same as she always is.
If she weren't stubborn, and if it weren't Nanami...she could drift away to a comfortable sleep from the calm atmosphere, frankly. Lord knows she doesn't get enough sleep.
But for Nanami, she'll stay awake.
For Nanami, she'll listen the whole night to anything and everything the other girl wants to talk about.
If it makes her happy, it's worth it. If it helps her, it's worth it.]
11/4, 38-8
Date: 2022-11-01 04:49 pm (UTC)He cannot wear these things anymore.
Atem has made do with his existing clothes for three days now and they're not right for the form. Nothing's coming together in front of the mirror in a way that's satisfying to his sense of fashion -- nothing clicks, nothing's right, nothing's something he can go out in and carry himself in with the kind of strength he knows he has. He'll look like easy prey if he doesn't get something together.
That means it's time to go to the mall.
In ripped khaki pants and a chunky sweater carefully maneuvered over his horns, Atem slips out of the door of room 806, late enough in the day that he's confident this Fog won't result in mass chaos like the pink-drink disaster, and heads for the elevator.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-05 12:05 am (UTC)She gets three faerie rings. One goes to Insert Coin. One in her latest home, with her friends from Shibuya. As for the third...
Nanami's squeezing her way out of the keyhole of 804 and popping out into the hallway when she nearly runs into him. The big hair is enough to recognize him by, even from her small perspective and compound eyes that she's still getting used to. ]
Atem-kun!!
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-05 12:39 am (UTC)[He's grown used to recognizing other monsters by their voices. So...]
Nanami! You changed!
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-05 12:41 am (UTC)[ With a thought, she grows again - but not to her full height. Somewhere between two and three feet tall, she hovers in the hall, getting a better look at him, from horns to hooves. ]
Minotaur, right?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-05 12:44 am (UTC)[A sharp eye -- but he's clearly not demon, he doesn't have the wings!]
Bruno had a vision, of me being happy, while I was in this form...so, I took control of my own destiny, and asked Mana for it.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-05 12:47 am (UTC)[ Everything is, though. But also, every monster form looks good on everyone... she thinks every monster looks cool.
She shrinks down again and whizzes around him, getting a better look before alighting on one of his horns. ] Where are you going?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-05 12:52 am (UTC)[She is permitted to hitch a ride on the horn! There's no cuff on it yet, to make the ivory easier to hold onto...]
I was going to the mall, to find clothes I liked better. The things I wore as a demon...they're not quite the same!
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-05 12:54 am (UTC)[ She cut some of hers up. Also she just. Doesn't own that many shirts, after merperson and nymph. ]
What did sensei see you do?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-05 01:00 am (UTC)Hm?
Who do you mean, sensei...?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-05 01:05 am (UTC)[ She clings on with two of her right hands, and settles herself in the crook of his horn for when they move. Hopefully she doesn't add too much extra weight, but she is much smaller than him. Her wings fold back against her back. ]
I guess... I just have since I first met him. He seems like the kind of person who deserves that, is all... he's really smart, and wise!
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-05 01:10 am (UTC)[Atem's not sure Bruno seems particularly smart or wise...he seems sort of like a hedonist blessed with foresight, but...he's a kind sort.]
He saw me talking to a girl in a bathroom, to be perfectly honest. I was fixing her makeup, and telling her to break up with her boyfriend...
...so, I thought, if I was feeling well enough to go to a party, and vouch for a human, then...this month must not have anything too bad happen!
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-05 01:13 am (UTC)[ Nanami nods along. That seems like a perfectly reasonable explanation for why Atem's making a change this month. He deserves a break.
Then part of that story comes back around like a boomerang and hits her. In a bathroom. And she glances down at his form, and from where she's sitting, the difference in his chest is much more noticeable. ]
OH! That's why you need new clothes! [ Blunt as ever. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-05 01:15 am (UTC)Well...I don't have anything yet, that I'd be happy to wear to a party...
[except, maybe, the skirt from the spa day. but that's....a little obvious. he wants leggings, at least, especially with november temperatures--]
cw: early/mid-2010s gender presumptions
Date: 2022-11-05 01:21 am (UTC)[ Atem no-- that's not what she meant--
Wait is she wrong? Maybe it's just that this form has unusually large pecs? ]
Atem-kun, did you... did you turn into a girl?... [ Or is she imagining things. ]
cw: unfortunately, it's that way all the way down,
Date: 2022-11-05 01:50 am (UTC)So, you noticed...
...this monster form is a girl's, yes!
cw continues
Date: 2022-11-05 02:00 am (UTC)[ She kind of keeps her voice down, even though-- there's nobody really around? But this is a sensitive topic! ]
cw continues
Date: 2022-11-05 02:28 am (UTC)It's funny....
[He steps into the elevator, that'll take them down to the ground floor, where they can walk to, or catch a ride to, the mall of Bavania.]
...I don't know if I am! I don't feel any less like me than I did when I was possessing you, or Cagliostro...
...but being like this doesn't make me feel not like me.
It's not as different as being a nymph, for example...
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-05 02:32 am (UTC)But it's not a big deal. She'll get used to it. She hangs on with two of her right hands and one of her left hands.
(No, she's still not used to the multiple arms thing.) ]
Was that really different for you? [ Oh that's interesting. The most that she saw him as a nymph was in the wasteland, and then after she came back and he fed her - and that still seemed like Atem? ] What about it?
cw: gross pitcher plant feeding description, sexual harassment mention
Date: 2022-11-05 02:38 am (UTC)[A beat, as the elevator doors close.]
But, inside my head...that was different from me, too.
I kept thinking about how...cities, they were like -- infected wounds. Factories, that made things people needed -- they bothered me, more than usual.
It was like I could see the whole picture -- the way everything, eventually, fed on everything else -- and it meant that nothing in particular mattered. It'd just be eaten eventually.
[He grimaces.]
Plus, human men mistook me for a girl a lot, and weren't very nice....
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-05 02:49 am (UTC)[ She wants to say interesting; lay off of her real feelings on the thing to spare his; but there's a little niggling itch at the back of her mind, and the real word slips out. ]
... cool. Sorry, ahh!! [ SHE DIDN'T MEAN TO SAY THAT. ] I mean, it's-- if it was hard for you, that's-- really understandable-- [ It sounds grotesque! But also--
Well, anyway, moving on. The other stuff is... a little sad? ] Mm... it was a little similar, for me, but also kind of different?... I love everyone so much, but as a nymph I loved even more than that, every plant. I guess it was kind of overwhelming...
[ The niggling itch at her mind is different now, than a moment ago. Now she doesn't really want to stop talking about it. But maybe that's also just months of steadily growing frustration, finally bubbling over, now that there's someone she feels safe talking about it with. ]
But I think even more than that... being a nymph is just... hard for me. I know it's not hard for, um, for Giorno-kun, or Elsa-san, or... a few others... and Spengler seems to think it's an easy monster type to be...
But... it's really not, I guess... I kept having to learn how to move again, when I first changed, and when I came back after the wasteland, and again in Felfri... it wasn't ever easy... [ She crosses her arms over her chest, hugging herself. One of her lower arms still grips on. ]
Not like being a merperson was. Or like-- flying, in Felfri. Or even like now! [ Being a faerie is A LOT, but it's not hard. Just different. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-05 02:57 am (UTC)Feeding like that wasn't that hard...it just smelled bad, and it was difficult for other monsters to watch.
But, I understand...you're used to moving around in water, and now, you get to move around in the air. As a nymph, you're landbound!
[Is he understanding right...? That having to move in two dimensions, when she prefers three, is the difficulty...?]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-05 03:02 am (UTC)I don't know which is the right monster type for me, but... um, I'm starting to think it isn't nymph. Even if She thinks it is.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-05 05:25 pm (UTC)...being a nymph didn't feel like there was less to do, to me. True, I couldn't explore the sky or water...but feeling like the whole forest was my friend was something new.
It was easier...to hunt, in that form.
[He's quiet a moment.
The doors ding! as they open, and he picks his feet up, and heads for the exit.]
But there's nothing wrong with trying out new monster types. You'll have to tell me which one ends up being your favorite....heh heh!
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-06 12:33 am (UTC)I think being a nymph... helped me get better at hunting. I'm not really sure how I feel about-- mm. I guess I'm a little relieved, but also sad about it?
[ Truth-telling is taking a toll. She rubs her head with one of her hands. Is it gonna be like this the whole month? ]
I've been thinking for a little while that I want to try all of them... but you know, I think I might try to actually do that. I have enough coins for a few, at least.
... There's a project I might want to make, too. It's kind of related.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-06 12:40 am (UTC)What kind of project?
[Down through the main lobby, out the doors...]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-06 12:51 am (UTC)It's strange. But he's not upset about it. So that's... kind of a relief, actually? ]
Spengler's. I've basically memorized it... but I really think it's only a little bit helpful. I think it needs an expansion.
[ Heart hammering a bit, but not with anxiety - with excitement. ] I want to write one.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-06 12:55 am (UTC)He hopes she finds a way to kill and eat that doesn't bother her at all. Not that all killing won't bother her ever again...but that she can find the way to do it that doesn't sit wrong with who she is.
Atem's had that, since before he ever came here.
But the idea of an expansion to Spengler's is much more exciting than murder.]
An expansion...!!
Then...you're going to try out the monster types...and write down what you learn yourself?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-06 12:59 am (UTC)... The other reason I want to is because I want to figure out who I am and what kind of monster I want to be. [ TRUTH-TELLING!! ]
But I don't want to write it all myself. I think what's missing is... it's not personal enough. It's actually really general. It's like Spengler observed a few monsters and wrote down what he saw, but that means that some of the information is wrong or not specific enough. So far my changes haven't been anything like what's in the guide, in a lot of ways.
So I want other people to help me write it too. And try new changes with me, too, if they want.
... Would you be interested in helping me with any of that?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-06 01:03 am (UTC)[It sounds like a worthwhile project, to him -- both helping other monsters, and helping Nanami figure out who she is. She disliked being called the Ultimate Gamer, didn't she...? Playing games wasn't for fun, anymore. It wasn't for her, when that became her label. So...of course she should try out as many types as possible, until she finds the one she likes -- the one she wants to spend her time here as!]
Of course I will! Trying out new monster forms, and comparing notes with friends...
...it sounds like fun!
[A good distraction, from all of the bad things that happen around them. A project, that'll help other monsters...and someone who's become a very dear friend. Of course he's in.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-06 01:11 am (UTC)[ She counts them off on one of her hands. ] Vampire, demon, naga, merperson, nymph, minotaur... am I missing anything?
I don't know what I'll try after faerie, but... so far I really like it.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-06 01:23 am (UTC)[They stroll casually on down the street. Atem could probably break into a run, and run all the way to the mall without breaking a sweat, if what he's heard about minotaurs is true, but...
...he's not in a hurry, yet. And, running might make it harder for Nanami to hold on...he'll wait.]
But, faerie's one I haven't tried...what do you like about it? Besides the flying, of course.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-06 01:27 am (UTC)But...
[ Okay hmm she has to really think about this. She opens and closes one of her small hands, thinking. The little itch at the back of her mind returns, and she powers through. ]
Well-- I like how I feel, I suppose. I have a lot of extra limbs, but-- well, the flying came pretty easy, and the extra arms are kind of fun to figure out. I know I have a lot of new powers, and I haven't tried all of them yet, but I like the ones I've tried so far. I don't even mind being smaller - I kind of like it? It's just a different way of being, and it makes some things easier. I've never really seen many faeries using this power very much, and I don't understand why...
... And I like how I look too, I suppose. Blue's a nice color. Even though I don't have hair again.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-06 01:53 am (UTC)[No big deal, just strolling down the street, Fog cloak fluttering and fading-out behind him in the cool fall air.]
Is that chitin, then? On your head? It's in the same shape as your hair, so looking at you, I didn't really miss it...
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-06 01:56 am (UTC)[ At this she finally rises off his horn, and flits down to fly next to him as he walks, so he can get a closer look. ]
There's a tutorial guide in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword who looks sort of like this. And my wings sort of look like Fi's, from Ocarina of Time... I really like helping people, so that's a nice thing about being a faerie, too.
[ It's a lot easier to be open and honest with him! The truth-telling isn't the only thing making that happen, really. He's just a good friend to talk to. ]
You don't usually have multiple limbs now, do you? Only with ... let's see... [ Now she has to pause to think. ] Wait. None of your other forms have them, do they?...
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-06 03:52 am (UTC)[He's keeping quiet about his tier 2 Fog boon. All of his powers, all of his exchanged weaknesses, will be played very close to his chest, for the foreseeable future.
The Wii, though, was super after his time.]
But, no, I don't know that particular game! Even if it wasn't after my time...
...Yugi didn't get much of a chance to play computer games. We didn't have a PC! So, it was pretty limited, to the ones you can find in arcades.
Your faerie form looking like a video game character...that's fitting, isn't it? You can be the new monsters' tutorial character!
[She doesn't have to, of course. But if she likes it, then...it's a cute outfit to wear while doing something she was going to do, anyway. It's a Look, as the kids say.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-07 08:11 am (UTC)Definitely not because her player kept forgetting about them.] I guess those didn't really feel like limbs, they felt like... friends, attached to my back.Gosh, there's a lot of games you haven't tried yet, aren't there!! I can introduce you to some of them if you like!!
[ And this time she flits down to sit on his shoulder, clinging onto him via his shirt. ] I want to be!! I know a lot of new monsters have a hard time, especially when they're changing... I want to be there for them. I want to help them adjust.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-07 03:59 pm (UTC)[Hippo-crite.]
Luckily, this temp has been pretty easy to adjust to...like a demon with no wings! So, the only thing I'll need help with is making sure I don't buy anything too unfashionable without realizing it...
...but, you'll give me your honest opinion, won't you?
[He winks!]
Then, when you want a break from helping out newcomers, we can play some computer games.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-08 09:09 am (UTC)[ She flits back on top of his head and rests there, nestled into his hair now and clutching one of his horns for support. ] Mostly I know how to optimize clothes in games... like in the Reaper's Game over the summer, you remember?
[ She glances down. ] Anyway... you kind of just seem like you again, Atem-kun. No snake tail, no frog legs... you look pretty normal to me. Even if you're a girl, that still fits for Atem-kun if you ask me.
cw clumsy gender talk
Date: 2022-11-08 11:46 am (UTC)[He really has wound up comfortable in bodies that are this way, hasn't he? This isn't nearly as big an adjustment as a snake tail! And, it's alive...his heart is beating, his own heart, and that in itself is something to be glad about.
But, something about "even if you're a girl" doesn't fit quite right. Hearing himself described like that feels like trying on a shoe that's too tight. It doesn't make him mad or insecure to be called a girl, but it feels too narrow to describe how he feels right now.]
...I don't feel like this makes me a girl, though. Or, not just a girl, without being a guy at all, anymore.
How do I explain this...
...When I take a naga form, with my Fog power, I'm not a naga, not like Dr. McGucket is -- even if I like being a naga a lot. It's kind of like that!
[Feeling this out...it's interesting. Kind of trial and error. What feels accurate, what doesn't?]
I don't feel like a girl and not a guy like Cagliostro feels like a girl and not a guy. For her, she's not a guy at all, and doesn't want to be anything besides what she is now! But, for me...I like this form, but not enough to stay this way forever. It's not all of who I am.
It's funny...
[He muses thoughtfully, as he makes his way down the street.]
...I told Mukuro last Christmas, about how there was a kind of propaganda that suggested some gods and kings of Egypt were like men and women at the same time. They wanted qualities of both! That way, they could take credit for being Egypt's source of life and be powerful in war, like they could do it all...
[For power. For bonuses. Like him.]
It wasn't true, of course, their hips and bellies didn't actually look like that. But it's kind of funny, that it's ended up true, for me.
[He straightens, squaring his shoulders. That's the mall there, in the distance, and a change in subject from very imprecise attempts to describe a feeling he's having, that's unusual and doesn't fit a lot of "normal" boxes.]
We'll get some clothes for both of us that aren't optimized for bonuses, but are optimized to make us feel good in them! That's a kind of bonus, when you know you're wearing just the right outfit.
cw: same plus general identity discussion
Date: 2022-11-09 12:30 am (UTC)So kings in Egypt were like... more than a mortal gender. Like a god. I see! [ Death Themself, who Nanami met in person, was like that. There's plenty of stories of myth and gods in games that are like that. It's easy enough to understand, now that Atem puts it that way. ]
I'm glad for you...! You get the benefits of both after all, but you can still decide what to be.
[ They're approaching the mall - at the very least, Nanami can see it with her compound eyes; but then she doubles back around to one of the first things he said. ]
But, the other thing... that you aren't a naga, even if you are a naga... that part I don't understand, really. If you have a snake tail, and scales, and all the rest... that makes you a naga, doesn't it?
sprinkles in some bronze age sexism to the identity discussion
Date: 2022-11-09 01:43 am (UTC)[In response to her comment about the kings in Egypt.
Some of them very much presented themselves as Men, And Only Men, God Help You If You Accuse Them Of The Feminine.
But, it's true...Atem does kind of like...having the benefits of both. There was a way Ankhsunatem was, that he's admired despite himself, and the jealousy over Ryou. The brutality, the absolute resolve, and the sensitivity to when diplomacy is called for...
...Atem wants that for himself.
But, she's stuck on the monster point!]
And, not to me...my monster forms are something I'm being, not really who I am. I am Atem! And sometimes, I look and act like a naga, but even while I'm in naga form, the way I imagine myself...isn't a naga. But, I think there are some monsters who do imagine themselves as their monster forms. It's as if...that's their body, now. But this, this is one of my bodies, and what makes me me is something else. Something bigger than just one monster type.
Does that make sense?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-09 01:58 am (UTC)[ She flops on her belly in Atem's hair, while she thinks. Still peering out at the world around them, but this requires a whole lot of concentration, okay.
Hmm. Well, she supposes she can understand where Atem's coming from, in theory. But... ]
I don't know if it's like that for me... I feel like I change so much from one monster form to another, or even different forms that aren't monsters... I don't know... it's like there's a lot of different me's, and becoming another form means becoming another me... so I still don't know what it means when I say Chiaki Nanami.
What does it mean to you, when you say that you're Atem-kun, no matter what? What makes an Atem?
cw anime possession that manifests as DID
Date: 2022-11-09 02:10 am (UTC)I used to think what made me me, was Yugi...I was just, "the other Yugi" -- what he was like, when he had the powers and knowledge of darkness! But that was wrong...
...because there's things that have made me me, that are always there, even when I'm different monsters, or a me that's not a monster. Even when I was the other Yugi, or Adam, or Ankhsunatem...
[He's quiet a moment, trying not to get distracted by how tickled and fond he is, of her flopping down in his hair. He owes her some seriousness -- this is a serious discussion!]
My heart is made of a lot of different pieces. All of my friends are pieces of my heart...everyone I've ever cared about is there! The feelings I feel, that I wouldn't have felt, if we'd never met...the ways they've changed me...that's something no monster type or mid-month fog can change! So, the things I learned from Yugi -- from Jounouchi and Anzu and Honda, and here, from Ryou and the Ring-Spirit, and Nagito and Celeste, Ima Wiggles, Horatio, Amanda, the Thief-King! Noa! Kaiba, when he was here! Everyone...they're all...
[He presses a thick-nailed hand to his chest, and has to stop walking for a moment, to close his eyes.]
They're all part of a heart that will do anything to protect them. To protect their hearts, too...whatever that means, whatever it looks like. I, Atem -- I'm someone who pays attention! I look for advantages. I find ways to create them, if they're not already there. For the sake of my heart!
[With satisfaction -- because he's satisfied with this answer, it rings true to him -- ]
That's who I am.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-09 02:43 am (UTC)So many of them... so many dear friends... [ She has no tear glands, but she certainly feels full, deep in her heart. ] You have a strong and kind heart, Atem-kun...
I hope you feel that love from us back. Because you're such a dear friend to me, and to so many on this peninsula...
[ If trying to be scary was his goal, well... it's backfired a bit, hasn't it? But in the best possible way.
She's quiet for a little while, thinking as they walk. Grateful to him, for the time to think, and the space to work all this out. ] My friends... they mean so much to me. I wouldn't be where I am, or who I am, without them... maybe that's something I need to think about, with all this...
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-09 04:01 pm (UTC)...he's glad. To have the friends he does. And he's glad to give her time to think, before she goes on!]
Even if you can't think of any qualities yet, that you know are you no matter what....
....there's always what you love, to show you where your heart is. Our connections with other people, and things in the world around us, are an important part of who we are...
...and, they can show us who we are, too. No one starts out liking themselves...but, when we have other people who like us, they can show us our own good parts. And, we have the chance to act in a way we feel proud of, when there's people in our lives to act for.
Your friends, and how you treat them...that might be a good place to start looking for Chiaki Nanami.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-13 11:53 am (UTC)[ She idly twirls a lock of his hair between her fingers, and then twirls it again between the fingers of a different hand. Idly twirling it into a small knot or curl. Hopefully Atem owns a good comb. ]
I have a lot of them... sometimes I feel like I'm a little different with each of them, though... it's strange...
[ She's a shapeshifter. She's learning this. (Isn't everyone?) But she frowns a little. ]
If there's anything that's the same about all of them... it's how much I love them with my whole heart. [ She literally can't think of an exception to that. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-13 05:24 pm (UTC)[He asks, because he's familiar with that, too. He acts differently around Trish than he did around Amanda.]
It's possible to show different sides of yourself to different people. But as long as the way you act still feels like you, and not like you're pretending...then, it just means that you're bigger than you thought!
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-16 09:42 am (UTC)[ A pause. The little itch at the back of her mind doesn't bother her. Huh. ] Yeah, I guess that's true.
I'm not trying to ... um, to not be myself around people, though. Or to be fake. I just... want to be the best me for them... that I can be, I think.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-16 03:31 pm (UTC)[Here's that mall. In the doors they go.]
Now! What kinds of clothes were you looking for?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-18 09:52 am (UTC)[ She peeks down over his hair to grin at him. ] You're the one who needs a whole new outfit, Atem-kun!! What would you like to wear on your new body?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-18 02:05 pm (UTC)[He has to think about that.]
...I don't know. I just know that this...
[He gestures to the chunky sweater with holes in the shoulders for spikes that aren't there, and rolled up khakis which aren't hanging right on his waist at all.]
...isn't right!
[His plan is to walk around until he sees something he likes. So, he starts to stride down a tiled aisle, glancing left and right, his hoofs making a click click click on the floor. Purses...swimwear...artisanal soaps...local vegetables?? No...
...
He pauses in front of a formalwear store, with suits and long silk gowns with puffy 80s bows and shoulder pads, then shakes his head. Those don't seem right, either.]
Something cooler than that.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-23 08:52 am (UTC)But they're moving away from the store pretty quickly, and Nanami's scanning the aisles. She flies off his head and starts flitting around, checking sign after sign for something interesting.
Eventually she zips back to Atem's shoulder, hovering just above it. ] There's some women's clothes stores if you make a right up here, and some people our age hanging around near one of them... maybe something like that?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-23 02:13 pm (UTC)[He heads in that direction, stepping somewhat more purposefully.]
Thank you, for scouting!
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-28 09:41 am (UTC)[ She flies at his side as they approach the story. This one in question seems to have a lot of darker, gothier clothes - and the teens near the entrance glance around to look at the monsters as they approach, all black clothing and heavy eyeshadow, and frown at them suspiciously.
Nanami would feel very much more out of place if she was full-size. Being tiny feels more comfortable for now. Atem can take over the social duties here; or ignore them and go right into the store. ]
A few days post Felfri
Date: 2022-11-05 05:41 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-05 05:46 am (UTC)yeah. are you okay?
[ She was worried, even if she. Didn't check in when he exploded. Twice. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-05 06:02 am (UTC)Are you back or did you stay in Felfri? Still doin weird shit?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-05 06:04 am (UTC)um
i'm sorry about what happened
if that's the weird stuff that you mean
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-06 04:36 am (UTC)What was up with that? Were you brainwashed? Blackmailed? Someone force you into it?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-07 08:12 am (UTC)i woke up in the fog caves. i stayed with Her because it was easiest, and i felt like i owed Her, and
it felt like where i was supposed to be
i left after a few days. the missions were too violent. i never wanted to hurt anyone. i went to E+L instead
i don't think that was the right decision either
i know this makes me a terrible hero. i don't blame you if you don't want to talk with me again or work with me again
but i really didn't want to hurt anybody. and i still want to be your friend if you'll let me
i swear i'm telling the truth because i'm a faerie now
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-08 04:57 am (UTC)[NOT...HIS PRIORITY BUT CHIAKI PLEASE. Is she just letting Mana experiment on her at this point??]
why didn't you just ask for help? I thought you were smarter than that. You ain't a idiot like a bunch of other extras.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-08 09:10 am (UTC)and i felt like it was what i was supposed to do, so it wouldn't make sense to ask for help.
oh also i turned into a faerie cause i asked mana to let me fly again, because i really missed it.
i want to be smarter though. i don't want to make decisions because i'm scared again. i want to make them because they're what matters to me. i'm sorry that i hurt you, bakugo-kun.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-09 03:19 am (UTC)All i'm mostly hearing is you didn't trust your friends enough. And you've got a shit ton of them. I don't get it.
Whether *we're* friends or not doesn't matter. Someone like you, with so many connections and people who'd be upset if something stupid happened to you...someone like that shouldn't fall into villainous shit.
It'd be too fucking sad.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-09 05:05 am (UTC)Her fingers hover over the keyboard for a long time. The thing about always having to tell the truth, is sometimes you have to puzzle out for a while what the truth is. ]
you're right. i should have.
my friends are what helped me away from that place eventually
[ But it had taken too long, hadn't it? It had been too late. ]
but i don't wanna be a villain
i mean not more than we already have to be, by being monsters
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-10 05:07 am (UTC)You said you were scared there. Of what? The fuckin gods?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-13 10:22 am (UTC)after the concert, i just didn't know what to do. that was my best idea at helping people and it blew up. i didn't feel safe going back to the caves, or leaving E+L.
so i spent the rest of the month just waiting. i tried to help in little ways but i didn't know what else to do but wait.
i was scared of all the options i had, so i just stuck with the one i'd already chosen
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-15 02:43 am (UTC)You already decided you were a villain for a while now. Is that it?
You never struck me as the type to be so indecisive. You always go quiet and then suddenly start babbling about a lot of unimportant shit. It's annoying but always thought it was good you were at least thinking.
But now you're thinking about shit so much that you go fuck it I'll just be a bad guy? That's stupid. You're not stupid.
I don't think you're a stupid villian. But not a hero either. You're just fuckin lazy.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-15 10:12 am (UTC)She knows he's right. More right than she wishes. ]
no, i haven't decided that
but i want to be better
whether you believe me or not, i'm going to try
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-20 07:45 am (UTC)Being a hero aint something you can just decide you can do Sometimes on a whim. Real ones aren't out on the street playing pretend or doin villain shit just to coast by. So don't get mixed up in that shit again.
And...look, not just saying that to be cocky. I don't care if you wanna be friends or not, cuz this ain't about me. I'm not stupid, you're too important to too many people.
I know you're the type that'll put others first rather than yourself. So. Try for them.
[fukkin nymph types!!]
flies in here
Date: 2022-11-07 08:04 am (UTC)Hey, Chiaki, are you in here? What's this about you flying…
[ Thematically, since it is getting colder, when Nanami spots him she'll notice he's dressed for it, wearing a dark turtleneck sweater under a long black overcoat — it's laced up in the front, but has some clever tailoring on the back to fasten up and make room for his wings — the silhouette it cuts almost looks like a cape. To finish his look, he's wearing a red scarf too, bundled around him loosely. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-07 08:25 am (UTC)Over she zips to him, practically a little glowing blue light in motion; but more perceivable as a faerie with glowing blue wings, once she's stopped to hover in front of him. ]
Abbacchio-kun!! You made it! [ She looks VERY different from the last time they spoke. At least she's cleared out the shell of her nymph body that was standing in the entranceway before, where she changed? ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-08 01:28 pm (UTC)I did. This is new… and very blue. What is it this time, faerie?
[ It seems every time the fog arrives — even as weak as it is this month — Nanami has changed forms again. Granted, he knows the fog has little to do with this most likely. She's ever-changing, perhaps that's why she appeared to like Moody so much. ]
I'm not interrupting, am I?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-09 12:30 am (UTC)[ She flips back to normal size, grown in just a moment. She's wearing one of her t-shirts and skirts, but no shoes (despite not having roots for feet anymore); and her buggy features are very clearly on display.
One of the shoulders of the t-shirt is pulled down so her left shoulder is visible, and there's a line of something white there, where her scarring was before - but it's hard to make out. ]
I asked Mana to give me wings so I could fly again. What do you think?
[ She doesn't look too weird, does she?? ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-10 03:32 pm (UTC)… you certainly have wings, yeah. Mana probably could have just given you wings without making you a whole different monster, though.
[ The last sentence is mostly muttered under his breath. No, he doesn't trust Mana, no, he hasn't learned his lesson. ]
Still, if you're enjoying yourself then I suppose it's fine.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-13 11:54 am (UTC)[ She shrinks back down to normal and flits towards the door. Mall adventure time? ]
But I gave her the coins because I wanted to try being something else! [ At this size, her voice is a bit quieter but otherwise not much different. ] A nymph with wings might look kind of silly.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-15 04:20 am (UTC)Could have ended up like me, too, or maybe manticore, demon, Nephilim… [ Okay, we get the point. ] I'm glad it worked out for you, but I do think a nymph with wings wouldn't look all that bad if you got to specify the type you wanted — something bug-like rather than feathers, you know?
[ It's kind of hypocritical of him to say so, considering how vague he's been with Mana. Do as I say, not as I do, etc. ]
Do you have a preference of where we start? I know the mall is probably the most obvious choice, but there are some places here in Bavan.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-16 09:43 am (UTC)[ What an odd thing to say! Also, she does appreciate the door being held open; she's not QUITE small enough to slip through this particular keyhole. ]
The mall's fine, I think...! None of my circles are any closer, really, so we can go from here. It's too bad I can't shrink you down with me, or else I could probably fly us both there in no time!
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-17 07:00 pm (UTC)[ He knows she's mentioned it, but well… It's a lot of coins for Mana, and moreover it's a lot of changes to go through month after month. The implications that might have on her body, her wellbeing and her mental state, it all sounds like it could be quite troubling. Questioning that isn't his place, though, so he opts to keep his thoughts to himself. ]
Well, there's no saying I can't fly with you, [ a beat, and because he's worried Nanami might actually suggest that they do that, he adds in a hurry: ] I'm not actually confident I could manage that. So, walking it is, I'm afraid. Besides, there are one or two places on the way that we can stop in on before we get nearer to the mall.
[ One such shop isn't too far away, actually. It's a quaint little thrift shop, Abbacchio's been there once or twice and managed to pick up some fairly decent articles of clothing — good quality, reasonably priced for being second-hand. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-18 09:53 am (UTC)[ SHE'S excited at least. Nanami's buzzing around him; she can fly faster, but she's letting Abbacchio lead the way, because she doesn't actually know where the clothes shops around here are. ]
We can stop in one of those places... [ Hold on back up reverse. The faerie suddenly zooms in closer. ] Wait, you can fly??
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-26 01:26 am (UTC)Sort of? Not properly… [ Flying is still a generous description, if he's honest. ] And not really for any extended period of time.
[ Translation: ten, maybe fifteen minutes, tops. Getting from Libeccio to Lake Dala at the start of the month was pushing it, and now he's paying the price — literally. There are aches in places he didn't even know could feel pain. ]
So, uh… Well, getting from here to the mall wouldn't be an option, is what I mean.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-28 09:42 am (UTC)[ The little faerie is absolutely beside herself with excitement for him. She zooms around his head in circles a few times, before returning to hover at his shoulder. ]
Abbacchio-kun!!! That's amazing!! I'm so happy for you! What helped? Did you try jumping off somewhere high?
gonna have the dumbo song stuck in my head
Date: 2022-12-04 03:27 am (UTC)[ In spite of the circumstances, the onslaught of praise has his scales darkening. It's silly, it's such a small thing and yet it's something he clearly struggled with more than he ought to have, for an array of reasons. Finally figuring it out feels good, but stranger still is that others seem to be invested in it. ]
A-anyway, the store is around this corner, near the end of the street.
[ Pointing off towards an upcoming road, and doing his best to divert attention away from himself and his steadily shifting scales. ]
disney stop putting flying songs in your movies, otherwise we'll get dumbo and peter pan mixed up
Date: 2022-12-09 10:47 am (UTC)What was it like? Did you like it? Have you done it again since then??
DONT CALL ME OUT LIKE THIS
Date: 2022-12-10 08:53 pm (UTC)It was… [ A pause, long enough that it won't go unnoticed. ] Fine. I wasn't really thinking much about whether it was enjoyable or not, though, there were— That's not important. [ Conveniently, Nanami is so small he doesn't have to worry about being caught avoiding eye contact! ] Only a little… And it was much shorter distances. I think I might've pushed myself too hard the first time.
I AM CALLING US BOTH OUT SHSHSHSH
Date: 2022-12-11 10:48 am (UTC)Did you get hurt? You'll probably get better at it the more you practice... I've been flying a lot since I changed!!
sobs
Date: 2022-12-16 01:01 am (UTC)Not exactly. You ever do exercise for the first time in a while, and your muscles ache afterwards? It feels kind of like that.
[ He scratches at his jaw lightly, aching muscles from lack of exercise are another thing he's familiar with in general. A lot of his old routines have fallen by the wayside since he arrived in December — it's hard to really keep up with some of them when your body literally isn't made for them. ]
So, you're right, practice will definitely help. As long as it's done with adequate breaks, proper warm-ups and cool-downs.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-12-16 10:09 am (UTC)[ The faerie finally flits to his shoulder to settle down, sitting on it as they enter the store. They're immediately bombarded with noise and color - a bit overwhelming to the little faerie, but having Abba as a grounding point underneath her is already helpful. ]
Um, what should we look for first?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-12-29 02:55 am (UTC)[ The topic is effectively dropped as they enter, and Abbacchio scans around the aisles and racks that have all been laid out and organised neatly. ]
Everyday essentials, firstly, would probably be best, though we should keep an eye out for anything that looks particularly warm. Good quality coats that keep the wind out, too.
[ He thinks, at least. Ryslig's weather is wholly unfamiliar to him, he arrived in the worst of it last year and barely coped. It only seems worse, now. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2023-01-01 05:34 am (UTC)Hats!! They need hats. You look for coats, I'll be right back.
[ Off she zooms!! ]
(no subject)
Date: 2023-01-01 05:52 am (UTC)Hats, or ear muffs, scarves too! They can be wrapped up around ears if needed and might cover possible changes in ways the others might not.
[ In the meantime, he does as instructed, picking his way through a rack of coats and jackets, other assorted kinds of outerwear. Pulling one off the rack, he holds it up — it looks like it might fit Emporio, it's a navy blue in colour and has a fleece lined hood. It gets draped over his arm as he continues to push hangers around the rack, glancing around now and then to keep an eye on Nanami. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2023-01-02 10:26 am (UTC)Then she jogs back over to Abbacchio, still at full height. ] I found some-- oh, SCARVES!! [ In her confusion, she forgot to look for them. Around she turns, peering out of big compound eyes to figure out where the scarves are. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2023-01-05 08:11 pm (UTC)[ He's following after her, careful as he goes so as not to knock the shoppers over with his wings, else they'll be joining the contents of their bag on the floor. Her enthusiasm nonetheless brings a quiet smile to his mouth as he plucks the hats from her grasp before she runs off in search of scarves. ]
We should look for ones that aren't too short… [ Fingers glide over some of the scarves on display; testing the texture to see if they're the itchy kind of wool or not. ] What colour do you think we should pick?
(no subject)
Date: 2023-01-06 10:44 am (UTC)Rainbow! That way whatever their favorite color is, it'll be there. [ And she picks out several - two for each of them. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2023-01-12 09:37 pm (UTC)[ He looks, but there doesn't seem to be any in a full spectrum, not unless they want to buy a handful of different coloured scarves and stitch them together to make one — and he doesn't say that, because he imagines Nanami would want to — what he does do, is pull up a couple of simple patterned ones, though, holding them up for Nanami to inspect. One in dark vertical stripes, and the other is a brighter plaid. They're sort of in colours that might suit their intended owners. There's an extra in his hands though, this one has a hat attached, and he holds it towards Nanami. ]
This would suit you.
[ Whatever she has planned next is a mystery to him, but she should be warm, too. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2023-01-23 10:45 am (UTC)[ She drops what she's doing and puts it on to try it out. ]
It's beautiful... thank you! [ She's definitely walking out with this one. ]
Have you tried anything on yet?... [ They're not shopping for themselves, but... it's worth asking! ]
(no subject)
Date: 2023-01-25 10:16 pm (UTC)Me? No, I have most of what I need for this weather. And I don't think there's an awful lot in here that would account for, you know, the wings and tail. Most things I need to have custom fit around the back now… lots of ties and snaps. Why, you see something?
[ Unless Nanami has found the holy grail of Lizard Footwear, because he misses shoes. So much. Do you know how miserable it is, when you can't wear shoes and also the floor is covered in snow and ice? It's awful. He can't see that happening here though, and so he's picturing a scarf or maybe some silly ear-coverings, given that that's what they were looking for. Whatever Nanami has in mind, it can't harm to humour her, seeing as how they're not in a hurry, at least. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2023-01-28 10:50 am (UTC)[ She shrinks down again and flits halfway across the little store - her new scarf and hat go with her.
A few moments later she returns, holding something on a rack that shrank with her - and when she grows back to full size again, she holds the garment up for Abbacchio to try. ]
I think this would stay out of your way!! [ It's a dark dress - simple and modest, and also backless; so it won't get stuck on his wings. The build is large enough to accommodate his bulky gargoyle form. ]
What do you think?
(no subject)
Date: 2023-02-04 06:57 pm (UTC)He's stood with his bundle of scarves and such in his arms when she returns, and he sputters as she holds up the dress. She's right about one thing; it wouldn't get in the way. Sure, he's played with clothing to create a more androgynous silhouette. Even in his teens he remembers idly flipping through his mothers' issues of Vogue with more interest than was probably suitable, and looked on in fascination as the musicians he liked, and their fans blurred the lines of what was socially acceptable. All things considered, it is a nice dress — matched to his typical dark style of clothing — but, well, it's a dress. ]
… I don't think it would fit, and it would be a shame to have it get torn.
[ A half-hearted gesture to the pointed spikes on his shoulders, scales across his face and neck starting to darken. The back is entirely exposed too, a benefit in movement but, he's been keeping the ugly scar across his torso covered more or less the whole time he's been here… Nanami might be one of the few people who has seen it, back in Lake Dala. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2023-02-07 10:34 am (UTC)Well, we could go to get it tailored, or reinforced! But I think it's your size... [ She holds it up to the gargoyle to check. ] Yeah. It'll fit, I think!
(no subject)
Date: 2023-02-10 03:33 am (UTC)… You don't think it would be, you know—
[ Hesitating, he trails off. Would it be wrong? Someone like him, wearing something like that. He's seen others here wearing skirts or dresses, or, rather brazenly, nothing at all. Long hair and make-up, they've always been a form of rebellion for him; they're comfortable, even, but is this a step too far? Giorno's worn dresses. Hell, Bucciarati wore delicate lace pieces under his suits. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2023-02-15 09:32 am (UTC)[ She doesn't quite understand the question. But she waves two of her hands, defensively. ]
Ah, if you don't want to, you don't have to! I can look for something else. It just seemed like your style...
(no subject)
Date: 2023-02-16 06:13 pm (UTC)I'll try it on. Not here, but… [ Of course, that would mean buying it. ] If it doesn't fit, then we can bring it back.
[ As if he doesn't know that by agreeing, that Nanami will likely insist on having it altered so it does fit. The garment ending up in his wardrobe space feels like an inevitability at this point, and it's not like he has to wear it. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2023-02-27 11:04 am (UTC)[ She adds it to the little pile of clothes they've been gathering. Mission: SUCCESS. She's really excited to see how he looks in it. ]
And if it doesn't fit, but you still want it, we can take it to get it tailored. [ She looks through the clothes they've selected. ] Are we missing anything?...
(no subject)
Date: 2023-02-27 05:26 pm (UTC)Maybe some more pieces of warmer clothing, we don't know what their changes will be, so we shouldn't get anything super restrictive — wings growing in when you're wearing something tight isn't pleasant, speaking from experience — but mostly anything that can easily be replaced.
[ It shouldn't be too hard to gather some of that here, they might not even need to head to the mall after all. ]
action, backdated to 11/1
Date: 2022-11-08 07:50 pm (UTC)Eventually, when Nanami's able to extract herself, Shoka approaches and speaks up in a hushed voice.]
Hey. He's in good hands now, so... I'm gonna head out. I'll catch up with you later if you wanna stick around longer, okay?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-09 12:29 am (UTC)[ It's an immediate response. There's been plenty to do to get the house ready for Sonic and all, but it's been impossible for Nanami not to notice the kelpie's general reaction to things, her general disquiet. Hiding in your hoodie is a well-worn tactic for Nanami.
So she says her goodbyes, and then leads Shoka out of the house by the hand. She presumes Shoka wants to head home, so she starts walking in that direction with her. But first she peers under Shoka's hoodie, to see how she's doing. ]
You, um... you okay? [ It's been sort of a distressing afternoon. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-09 02:00 am (UTC)[Once the goodbyes are taken care of (naturally, Nanami seems to know everyone here, while most of them are strangers to Shoka), Shoka lets herself be led out by the hand, saying nothing. The face Nanami finds under the cat-eared hood soon after is blank, and the voice that answers is nonchalant, almost detached.]
Yeah. I mean... as okay as I can be.
[Only then does Shoka's expression change, taking on a hint of concern.]
What about you? That was... a lot to walk in on.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-09 03:01 am (UTC)[ She caught that deflection, Shoka. She frowns. Her wooden features may not be as expressive as her human one was in Felfri, but she's expressive enough to convey that emotion at least. ]
You're sure? You were... pretty quiet, I guess. I was worried...
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-09 04:34 am (UTC)[That comes out sounding curt and more hostile than she intends, though her tiredness at least removes a few of its teeth. After a moment, her gaze drops down to her hand, still held in Nanami's, and she heaves a sigh.]
... I was just thinking. That's all. Okay? You really don't have to worry about me on top of everything else.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-09 04:37 am (UTC)Nanami glances down at their hands too, her leafy one in Shoka's gray one. ] I... I want to. You worry about me... all the time.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-13 02:28 am (UTC)So what? You don't owe me anything. And you should save that energy for the guy who really needs it right now.
[She doesn't meet Nanami's eyes when she gently unlaces their fingers and starts to move on ahead.]
Let's... just get home, all right?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-13 10:23 am (UTC)But then she's running after Shoka, keeping pace with the kelpie. ]
I have enough energy. Sonic-kun's friends are with him now, and I'm with you now.
You told me not to box things up... that you weren't scared of me. Well, I'm not scared of you either, Shoka-chan. Not a single part of you.
[ Then she wilts a bit, second-guessing herself. ] If... i-if you don't want to talk about it, yet... that's okay. It really is. I can wait. But... I'm here for you too, okay?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-15 01:10 am (UTC)This time, she manages to rein in the worst of it. A short, disbelieving laugh escapes her.]
What, haven't sat in on enough drama to satisfy you for one day?
[A part of her still thinks she ought to put up more of a fight than that, but she can't seem to muster it. Ultimately, she did say those things (her and her big mouth), and hearing them turned back against her has pierced right through her defenses. She takes in a breath and releases it as a defeated sigh.]
... Okay. [Eyes still averted, she starts to fidget with one of the ears of her hood as she mumbles through her thought.] The thing is just—I think I get what he's going through. Even though I really wish I didn't... 'Cause I've been there, too. But I still don't...
[Know what to say, or what to do. She doesn't manage to say as much out loud, trailing off there into an ashamed quiet.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-15 10:12 am (UTC)This is what she was worried about, really. Shoka had told her before that dying came easy for her, that she'd been able to let it happen. And now here was Sonic, hurting himself, begging for death, and Shoka's right here, watching it...
She doesn't take Shoka's hand - doesn't force the contact that's been broken. But she does place her hand gently on Shoka's back. ]
I'm sorry. That... that you're being reminded of-- that. ... I don't really know what to say, either. I know how to take care of him physically, but...
[ She shrugs. And even then, just barely. She hesitates. ]
... I think ... even if you don't know what to say... he'd appreciate your company. You're friends, right? Sometimes... just being there, that's enough. Or at least, it's a start.
<ReflectedStorm>
Date: 2022-11-09 08:15 am (UTC)<galagamer>
Date: 2022-11-09 08:17 am (UTC)i can be!! i'll be there in a second. come on over!
action
Date: 2022-11-09 09:03 am (UTC)[It doesn't take long for Niina to arrive. She's...looking, well. Uncomfortable. Her hoodie is irritating the burns on her chassis as she walks towards her. She told Wakaba that she needed food, that the guard will take care of things.
She didn't say she was meeting someone to help her hunt.]
Thanks. That fire really did a number.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-09 09:08 am (UTC)Her eyes can't really widen, compound as they are, but if they could have, they would have. Her friend doesn't look well. So Niina's not gonna get a chance to protest before the blue faerie's pulling her into a tight hug. ]
I'm really glad you're okay...
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-09 10:00 am (UTC)There's a small blinking emoticon before she gets pulled into a hug. There's a hiss that sounds like static before she relaxes.]
That's two of us... careful.
[It's the way she tenses that shows the true extent of the burns.]
Don't get burned. That's my advice.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-13 11:53 am (UTC)[ She can tell that the hug hurts Niina, if unintentionally. Immediately her grip loosens, and the faerie steps away from Niina to give her a little space. ]
I won't... it sounds terrible...
[ Can the Fog heal scars? Can Mana? Things she wonders now. Niina doesn't deserve to be in this pain; didn't that happen a month ago? ]
You didn't just wake up, did you?... [ Shrink - flits back over to the prize counter - grows again and picks up a heavy box. ] I'll help you in a minute - these boxes just need to get into storage first...
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-18 07:53 am (UTC)[She's healing but the scars would likely remain even if the damage is gone. She shrugs.] It is but... I'm feeling better now.
[It definitely didn't help that when she died the Fog was at Her weakest.]
No, I woke up a while ago. The fog wasn't as strong as it normally was. Shit sucks but I'm healing.
[That's when she hears it. She goes over to the prize counter and grabs another box.] Let's get it done, then.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-18 09:54 am (UTC)[ She was very quick to help, wasn't she? Nanami leads Niina towards the back of the arcade, and unlocks a door. There she places her box on the floor, and takes Niina's box from her too. ]
Sorry about the mess in here... [ There's clutter everywhere in the little room. Boxes on the floor, things half-unpacked; a pinball machine in the back with the glass taken off, which Nanami's been trying to work on in between fog weeks. She sighs. ] I really want this place to be more organized, but I never seem to have enough time...
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-23 08:20 am (UTC)[She eyes the boxes, the pinball machine. She moves around as the fairy works. It's not much but is. Is she sorting the junk by size.]
It's not that hard to sort things once you get used to it.
[Niina what are you doing]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-23 08:53 am (UTC)She turns and climbs out of the machine, and finds-- her sim friend starting to organize things. ] Ah--? Oh, Niina-san! You don't have to do that, I'll get it later!
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-23 08:56 am (UTC)[No... no, she didn't? Niina seems confused. Very confused. She glances at the work she's done then back at Nanami and back at the items.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-23 08:58 am (UTC)[ Well now Nanami's confused. She flits back over to the sim, hovering in front of her. ]
I didn't think I did... I'm sorry! All I remember saying was that it'd be nice if it'd get done... but I just meant that I haven't had the time to do it yet, is all...
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-23 09:00 am (UTC)Isn't it fine for me to do it, then?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-23 09:02 am (UTC)[ A small smile, just visible on her tiny buggy face. ] I don't mind the help, Niina-san. Do you want to?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-23 09:04 am (UTC)[She stops. There's a question mark on her screen.]
I... don't know why that'd mean I'd want to do it.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-23 09:06 am (UTC)Niina-san... [ The faerie has to break this very gently to her. She alights on a box on the shelf at eye(?)-level, and sits down. ] If I ask you to do something... is there a part of you that really wants to do it?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-23 09:12 am (UTC)... Yes.
[...]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-23 09:16 am (UTC)[ The faerie zips out of the storage room for a moment. She isn't gone long. Her stuff isn't with her, but her bag's behind the food counter. She's back with the guidebook in seconds.
Then she's sitting on the same box again, and flipping to the relevant page. She reads quietly. She knows the passage, almost by heart, but she suspects that a simulacrum like Niina will prefer more concrete proof than memory alone. ]
"It has been my observation that certain simulacra on the peninsula are particularly susceptible to suggestion. Some find it difficult to say no; one particular acquaintance even frequently takes suggestions as orders to be followed, especially among those closer to him."
[ She pauses for a moment, and looks up at her friend. ]
Simulacra were a fairly new type of monster around the time that Spengler was writing... and yet he was already noticing a pattern.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-23 09:25 am (UTC)It's true. She knows it is. It's... something that she's known for a bit, unconsciously, that she's become a lot more agreeable to certain things.]
...It's hard to say no. I know that. It's easier on the network or with people I don't like. [She... knows it's true. It's hard to say it but she knows it. It's like admitting you chew your fingernails.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-23 09:36 am (UTC)It's more than that though. You see that, right? If I ask you to do something, or suggest it... anybody could have that power over you.
[ She hesitates, and peeks at the passage again. ] Well, maybe it's more likely for your friends to be able to... but we don't know unless we test things out.
You know that I can't lie as a faerie, right?... It's kind of like that. I've had to learn things.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-23 09:42 am (UTC)Faeries can't lie, I know that. So... you want to test out how this goes? I know you wouldn't ask anything too much.
[...But that idea Is scary. What if she gets a friend who'd abuse it?]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-23 09:49 am (UTC)And there's a pretty simple solution to all of those, when she puts it together in that way. She smiles. ]
Kind of. Niina-san... you think about things really logically. What if you came up with a series of tests, and I executed them for you? We'd have to account for all the different variations of ways someone could ask you to do something - an order, a suggestion, an idle wish - and maybe even friends of different types too, like your friends at the school, compared to just anybody on the network; plus different types of suggestions, easy ones or really dangerous ones; there's all sorts of different factors... but I feel like you'd be able to think of more variations than me. And that way, it's not really me asking you to do any of it, either; it's you putting together the plan, and I'm just helping you with it.
[ She pauses, and thinks back about what she just said. ] Although-- well, I suppose even that suggestion could come across as an order, just like when I suggested cleaning this room by mistake... so, just to clarify! It's not something that I want to do or don't want to do. ... I mean, it would be cool, but it's also something that I could try out just as easily when I change into a simulacrum, too! So... if it's something that you want to do, Niina-san... then maybe I could help you, if you wanted.
[ Her brain is starting to hurt a little bit, but she thinks she covered her bases? Man, being a simulacrum is more complicated than she thought. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-23 09:55 am (UTC)Honestly? I like it. Having a test... it makes this feel scientific. If we figure out things we could help new monsters, too. So they don't have to go through this.
[She likes that idea.]
A real experiment needs controls.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-23 09:58 am (UTC)[ The faerie claps two sets of hands together. ] It's a game, but it's also fun because we're learning things! I've never tried this sort of thing before...
[ Now that she's through the difficult part, the little faerie's excitement is bubbling over again. ]
We could even put a section about it in the new Guide! Let me see if I can find a pen and paper...
[ And she's shooting back out of the closet again. No order this time (Nanami was careful with her wording); Niina's free to stay or follow the faerie as she pleases. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-12-01 06:18 am (UTC)...I'd rather we leave my name out, though. I'm not exactly proud of being like this, you know?
[Tsun, tsun!]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-12-04 02:14 am (UTC)[ She says this as she's returning with the paper and pen; and she sits down next to Niina, laying out the paper in front of her. ]
Okay. How should we organize this?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-12-14 05:50 am (UTC)[She pauses, thinking about this for a few moments.]
Maybe we should make a list of 'questions' that are actually orders? Then give them to some people we trust.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-12-16 10:09 am (UTC)[ She taps her pen against the paper, and then starts writing down some categories: "Orders," "Requests," "Suggestions," "Idle Thoughts." ]
Is that a good way to organize it...?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-10 11:14 pm (UTC)[Right on time, a door in the arcade opens, and Atem, in a slouchy open-sided Iron Maiden t-shirt and holding what looks like a mimosa glass that's full of wine, blood, or both, appears in it, leaning against the doorway. He looks around -- ]
I'm not early, am I...?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-10 11:23 pm (UTC)Which also means that Nanami isn't anywhere to be seen - not immediately. In the distance, there's a quiet and indistinct noise, which could be anything - and then the tiny blue faerie is shooting down the stairwell from the second floor; hovering in the middle of the arcade looking for her friend; and zipping over to him. ]
Hey... [ She grows back to normal size as she lands in front of him, pink bag over her shoulder, wearing a warm-looking hoodie that's got careful cuts in it for her extra arms and wings. ] Sorry... were you waiting long?
cw alchol itt
Date: 2022-11-11 12:24 am (UTC)[He holds out the mimosa glass.]
Care for some? It's got blood in it, but no energy...I haven't figured that one out, yet!
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-11 12:43 am (UTC)But she shakes her head. ] That's all right. But thank you. [ It's a very vampire offer of him, anyway. And maybe he needs it more than her. ]
Do you want to talk here, or at your place? [ The door Atem's leaning in still stands open. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-11 01:21 am (UTC)[She's the one who wanted to meet...and he's as comfortable in this arcade as anywhere.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-11 01:25 am (UTC)Once he's arrived, she'll only give him a few moments to settle in before she gets right into it. ] You're not usually like this... something happened, right? What was it-- Ryslig's last trick?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-11 01:35 am (UTC)[He repeats it, settling down on the floor, legs sprawled out casually with his glass in hand.]
You make it sound so final...! There's elegance to it. A drama! "Ryslig's last trick."
[He lifts his glass to his lips, and after the sip, his mouth stays close to the glass, giving it a muffled sort of reverb, as his grin turns into a more subdued moue.}
It's the last trick it'll play on me.
[He's getting to it. He'll explain, he's just...deep in it, at the moment.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-11 02:07 am (UTC)[ It just slips out. Any other month, it might not have. That's how things go with this form.
But she leans forward, on the edge of her seat, two of her sets of arms folded together. This is the sort of thing that she might ordinarily be excited for, the idea that he's figured out how to avoid getting hurt anymore by this world.
But he's clearly not okay. So, no. Instead she's just more worried by the moment. ]
What was it?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-11 02:15 am (UTC)Heh heh heh!
[it's not actually funny at all, if his tone of voice is anything to go by -- the way laughter bubbles up out of him, like something that's festered in a swamp.]
Ah, Nanami...
...I was terribly wrong. The law of the jungle, here, is that no matter what, you and your loved ones will suffer...and, trying to stop it, won't do anything but generate more suffering!
[He takes another drink, from the glass.]
At least I got effective powers out of it. At least, most of the time, I can protect me!
Ryou Bakura, though...
...[A sigh out, one that's not very kind.]
He's on his own.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-11 02:25 am (UTC)... Ryou. "He's on his own." Oh no.
She slips off the couch to kneel next to him. ]
What... what happened to him? [ She has her own guesses, at that, but for once she bites her tongue. She wants to hear the whole story from him. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-11 03:00 am (UTC)[Atem is lolling -- his shoulder rolled up and around, taking up his space like a puppet with loosened strings. It's careless. Lazy. Unfocused.]
Just a lot of old. But I'm seeing it in a new light...
...
...
[He looks down, getting more serious, if not more sober.]
I've made some very serious mistakes. I'm just glad you weren't involved in any of them.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-11 03:03 am (UTC)[ Right now she's all clarifying questions. No judgement despite the faerie truthtelling; as calm as she can be despite her worry.
She just wants to know what happened first. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-11 04:55 pm (UTC)[He looks down.]
I paid a very high price, for something that didn't even work. I was tricked into causing suffering, not just for me, but for my friends, for the humans here --
-- because I thought I could help Ryou Bakura protect himself. Even if I couldn't.
What I failed to realize, is...
...he's what you might call a favorite of this place! That's not a good thing. There are times when this place forces you to suffer, even if you have abilities that would usually prevent it...penalties, like when that manticore snuck up on me from the air, when I should have been able to hear his heartbeat, and be faster.
It's only happened to me once or twice that I'm certain of. It's easy to mistake for bad luck! But, with Ryou...
...it's past luck. It's more like doom...!
And I, foolishly...thought that I could fight it.
[He doesn't look at Nanami, just at the reflection of the arcade lights off the clear class and red liquid. They're pretty...like light reflected off an oilslick he's drowning in, like a sunset over a tar pit. But, if you can't appreciate the little things, when everything around you is an unstoppable crushing force, then what do you have at all? He might as well appreciate the sunset.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-12 06:09 am (UTC)She grips the edge of her hoodie, partly to keep it tight around her mouth. She thinks she's understanding what Atem's saying - maybe - but the conclusion he's come to is horrible. Her blood feels like it's run cold in her veins.
A deep breath, then another. As she tries to grasp how he got here. From his perspective. She has to. ]
You left him... because bad things kept happening to him... and you couldn't stop it anymore. No... you've given up too much... to try stopping it. To want to.
Is that... kind of what you mean?
cw murder, broadcast talk, mania, mood instability, self loathing
Date: 2022-11-13 01:18 am (UTC)[He confirms, using her exact words. It's mocking in the sense that he's imitating her, but it's not in order to make her sound stupid. He's just. Unstable, at the moment, and parroting.
The mania's making his head spin. It's hard to be serious, to be vulnerable, when it feels like his brain is eating itself, when it feels like his skin's on fire.]
All the worst things I've done in Ryslig...I wouldn't have done them, if it weren't to help him. You heard about the broadcast...where I frightened a whole city at once?
I'm pretty sure I could have gotten my own powers, without putting the game on TV.
But Ryou lost his temper, near the end. He killed and ate those guys while the camera was rolling. I knew...making it public would bring him up to level three. I was hoping for Maya and the Ring-Spirit to benefit, too, but...
...but --
[Here, his face twists into a rictus grin.]
-- mostly, I wanted Ryou Bakura not to have to be so scared!
Heh heh....heheheh...
[He hates himself so much.]
What a useless wish, huh...? But, those powers...they were taken away from him, when they shouldn't have been, for no reason...at the time he needed them most.
So, if that kind of thing can happen...in spite of my efforts, then...
...all I did was cause suffering, for no reason.
[He lets out a breathy laugh, fog issuing from his nose and mouth like smoke. Up the wine glass goes again!]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-13 11:54 am (UTC)But there's more to it than that, of course. It's pain, and loss, and grief. ]
I don't think it was useless. What boyfriend... doesn't want his boyfriend to be safe? To not feel scared? I don't want that for any of my friends...
[ Fog, the broadcast. The damned broadcast which she keeps hearing about but came in too late to actually saw. It continues to weigh on her friends' lives.
There's another aspect to all of this - Atem's own agency in doing the horrible things he's talking about - but she pushes that down, as a lesser truth, and focuses on the larger one. ]
Don't you think, in doing those things... in trying to protect Ryou-kun... you caused more than suffering? It's love, isn't it, to look after each other? To try to make him feel safe, even if it doesn't always work? You both care about each other so much... isn't that something you've given him, too?
cw torture discussion, agorophobia, amputation, BLANKET MANIA CW
Date: 2022-11-13 05:04 pm (UTC)...that almost hits. Giving Ryou his feelings, even if he can't give him strength...that comes dangerously close to worming its way into his heart, past the hopelessness. That's something this place can't take away, from Ryou.
But, the weight of all of it...
(fear, fear to go outside
lost limbs that grow slowly
hurt when he shouldn't be
killed when he shouldn't be
weak to water
a malady lust hadn't heard of
cut me open, didn't have to
didn't come back like steve did
and now, my friends are in danger, too.)
...it's crushing. It's too much for a small comfort like that.]
You don't understand. However he feels about it, the cost --
-- the cost isn't just me, now. I should never have involved the others, who helped me with AM. What I did to AM isn't going to protect Ryou. It's just going to get the people who helped me hurt, and Ryou will still --
[His glass comes sloppily to rest on the floor -- not tipping over, but just barely, and a few drops do hit the arcade carpet -- and both of Atem's hands go to his face.]
He's only going to be hurt, and hurt again, in ways I can't predict, because they're worse than the rest of us face. The rules break around him! And I can't keep making other people suffer to try to fix that -- it was a mistake to! His powers just let him down! He'll always be scared! I'm --
[His face is still hidden, but he laughs into his hands.]
Heh...heh heh heh...
Why I did it, what I was trying to do, doesn't matter if it didn't work. What they said about me....they were all right.
I'm the worst monster out there.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-16 09:42 am (UTC)[ And that's enough. That's as much as she needs to hear before she's reaching forward and pulling him into a six-armed hug, pulling him close. If he resists, she'll let him, of course; but otherwise, the embrace continues. ]
No, you're not. Atem-kun, you're not. You're one of the most powerful and amazing monsters I know - one of the best friends I know.
You don't know-- we don't know-- that our friends will get hurt, for what you did. Or that Ryou-kun will. And if he is-- what monster is more prepared than you? What monster is more powerful than you? Okami-san, I guess? And even she isn't a priest!
What matters isn't-- isn't whether bad things happen, because bad things will always happen. What matters is that we're here for each other, and help each other through it... just because we can't change things happening to us, doesn't mean that we can't still do our best to take care of each other.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-16 01:47 pm (UTC)But what good is it, to be powerful and prepared, when --
[His voice rises, in volume and pitch.]
-- when it can all be taken away at any time? Even if it doesn't make sense, or shouldn't be gone...there's no use sacrificing for the power to protect yourself if it can't be counted on!
I can't keep trying, Nanami! If that's how it is, then I can't keep risking and trading and destroying the things I care about, to try to keep him safe! And I can't --
[Here, there's a break in his voice, a catch in his breath.]
Every time I try to help, I...I just make it worse.
[The broadcast...it led to Ryou throwing himself to the wolves on the network, and nearly to AM, if Atem hadn't caught him. In September, trying to prepare for Ryou's revival had just led to terrible suffering. And, now, the friends who had helped with AM...they'll go through what Ryou did.
He feels so helpless...and so scared.]
I can't. I can't just watch. It hurts too much. But I can't help prevent it, either...or even make it less bad. It's like you said.
Bad things will always happen. It's just going to happen again, and again, and again -- !
[And, if there's no way to so much as mitigate that...if the entity playing opposite them, if Ryslig, is going to trick Atem into setting his friendships on fire for power and then take that power away whenever it pleases, then...
...why should he keep playing? Why should he follow their rules, and let them hurt him over and over and over?
The game isn't just rigged. There might be no rules at all -- just an illusion of them, to make him think he has a chance. And, if that's the case...if they're all trapped, struggling, in that web, where fighting it only tangles you tighter...
...if there's no holding onto anything good, if he's been tricked and used and the only future is watching his friends suffer, too, then....
...then, he's taking the whole thing down.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-18 09:52 am (UTC)[ It's a simple answer, but now that they've gotten here - now that she's heard more of the problem - it's an easy one.
How can people like Atem or Mukuro hold up the weight of so many hearts and so much responsibility on their shoulders? How can any of them do any of this without each other? ]
You let-- you let us take care of you for a little while. You tell me what you need. Please. And I'm there.
[ He sounds so tired, and she's so upset to hear it. He did so much in the last month, while she-- no, she's not gonna get on that right now. Either way, it's her turn to hold that weight. She can bear it. ]
I asked you a while ago... to tell me what the signs were, that you needed help. That's because... I care about you, Atem-kun. You're part of my heart too.
Let me help. Let your friends help you, too. That's what we're here for, isn't it?
cw body horror metaphor in meta
Date: 2022-11-18 02:39 pm (UTC)[He lets out a terrible, manic little laugh.]
You can't help.
I can't help. Nobody can help.
We're all...s-stuck here...
[Stuck in a web, watching each other lose bits and pieces of themselves, until the venom dissolves them from the inside, and they're hollow, empty shells--]
Anything you do...will be as useless as what I did. W-whatever decided Ryou shouldn't have his powers will make sure of that. We'll all suffer exactly as much as they want us to suffer...!
[His shoulders are shaking, in her grip. He's trembling.]
There's no rules here, Nanami. I was wrong. It just looks like there are, to trick us. My friends...
...
My friends are a trick, too. Everyone I know is another way to hurt me. Either I watch them hurt, and hurt myself because I can't do anything, or...
...or, I try to help them, and it doesn't work...it just makes other people hurt, and this place doesn't have to lift a finger.
That's probably why we get the coins.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-23 08:52 am (UTC)[ She doesn't think she is, anyway. She gently strokes his back, with four of her hands - possibly an unsettling sensation. ]
The way I feel about you is real. The way all of us feel about each other is real. You weren't tricked... I don't think.
[ She pulls back from him finally, and looks him in the eye. ] You need rest. Real rest. If you need a place to go, you can stay here... but either way, I'll stay with you. We can play games, or eat, or-- anything you like. You don't have to worry about taking care of everybody else for a while.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-23 02:00 pm (UTC)...the kind where the feelings are real.
[Mana gives them coins to encourage interpersonal connection, engagement with what happens, and they fall for it...they form bonds, and learn new ways to be hurt, or they make enemies, and generate suffering for free...
It's a neat, tidy, efficient system. As neat as the god factions, that reward division and revenge.
But he doesn't say all that out loud. She's not listening, she's not going to join him in despair, and maybe that's good, or maybe it's bad, but it's out of his hands. She's written him off as so tired he's become upset, so...
He looks down at the three-quarters empty glass by his hand.]
I could sleep.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-28 09:41 am (UTC)[ She gets to her feet and tugs him over to the couch. It's closest, and from underneath she pulls out a spare set of blankets, kept close by in case of any humans or monsters who need to take a nap.
Gently she takes the glass from him too, and places it on the table. She busies herself with laying the blankets out. ]
If it's a trick... maybe we can figure it out. If it's a rigged game... maybe there's still a reason to play. It's what we do, right? We make a good team... the King of Games, and the Ultimate Gamer...
[ She never uses that title for herself. But she will for him, to try to reassure him.
She sits down next to the spot she's laid out. Either way, she'll keep him company. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-28 02:20 pm (UTC)They're both experts at games, the highest-level players in their respectibe worlds. But...]
Why play...when the game is designed to hurt us?
When the rules can be broken against us at any time, but we can't break them back?
[He sits down on one side of the couch she's made up, not quite going under the blankets yet. Instead, he pulls his knees up, and leans sideways against the couch arm, a little ball of cow with a tucked-in tail that doesn't have it in him to stay upright under his own power.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-30 10:17 am (UTC)The itch in her brain doesn't like the idea of guessing, of making up some sort of idea to comfort Atem; so she takes a deep breath, and moves closer to him on the couch. ]
I... don't think I can speak for everyone... but, for me, I guess it's because... I want to. It's really just like that...
(no subject)
Date: 2022-12-01 08:09 pm (UTC)....but, even if I don't want to anymore, I don't have a choice.
[Well. He has a choice. Go numb, and let the game happen to him, and let his friends continue to spiral, losing more and more and more of themselves, or...
...or, take matters into his own hands, and end it. For all of them.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-12-04 02:14 am (UTC)Because that is the awful truth. There is no way out of here, if somebody really wants to leave.
That's what Sonic has already figured out. ]
I'm sorry...
(no subject)
Date: 2022-12-05 02:14 am (UTC)He's really tired, all of a sudden...
He's going to have to decide what he's going to do about this. Just enduring isn't an option. Kaiba said himself, he had no idea when he'd be back: time might work differently, outside of Ryslig. Atem can't wait for him. Not any longer.
For now, though, what he needs is sleep. Atem wants to stop thinking, for a while.]
...it's not your fault.
[He seems to settle further into the couch cushions, not relaxing so much as sinking.
Not being alone, though...that helps. If she weren't here, it would be terribly easy to give in to the itch behind his eyes, the tightness in his skull, and cry uselessly. It's a good thing she's here...]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-12-09 10:48 am (UTC)Her eyes are droopy. She's pretty tired, herself...
As she finally drifts off, the last thing she sees is the doorway where he entered, holding his wine glass and looking manic and upset.
She's going to have to talk to Ryou later, and find out what exactly happened... ]
11/10, late night seems about right
Date: 2022-11-11 05:34 am (UTC)He'd been gone from home so long, and now...he's even further from it.]
are you awake? if i woke you up you can ignore this, also.
it's fine.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-11 05:50 am (UTC)hey! i'm awake! just writing
[ And a millisecond later, she recognizes the username. ]
oh, bakura-kun!! it's you!
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-11 05:55 am (UTC)you...must be writing what you posted about then
good idea
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-11 05:57 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-11 06:20 am (UTC)dyster.
[That's a deeply unclear message until a few minutes later, when he uses the his key to move himself from Dyster to the arcade as a shortcut. Surprise.
He looks beat, both in the sense of exhaustion and...in general. His presentation could be better, given that he's currently in his sleepwear, and his hair is tied back in a messy ponytail. His tail is in a perpetual purple glow-state. That may mean something, probably.
Has he had a proper shower lately? Surprisingly, yes! Does he look like it? Absolutely not.]
Hi.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-11 06:33 am (UTC)Instead, the door from Dyster opens onto the main sitting room of the living quarters, on the second floor. A very blue Nanami is kneeling at the table in the main room, pen poised over a sheet of paper as she thinks about what to write next. Her laptop sits open on the table next to her, and Peninsula of Passions plays at a very low volume on the television opposite her.
When Ryou enters the room, she drops her pen and leaps to her feet. Then she's running over to him, wings buzzing and causing her to hover just slightly at every other step, and throwing her arms around him in a tight hug. ]
Hey...
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-11 06:42 am (UTC)Ah, Nanami, you--!!
[Then, her arms are around him, and it feels...nice. His entire body shudders in her grip and he has to stop himself from succumbing to his own emotions, before they spill out like a torrent, and he ends up throwing all of his pain on her.
No. No, he can't. He can't do it anymore...]
You--you shouldn't...be near me. Like this.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-11 06:57 am (UTC)But she isn't going to let go, not unless he steps away. ]
I want to be.
[ Faeries have to tell the truth. So there it is. She hasn't hung out with him much in his Fog-given shade form, but she's quietly glad that he's solid enough to hug. ]
cw self-deprecation in the metatext
Date: 2022-11-11 07:06 am (UTC)If he wanted to hurt her, as well, which he doesn't. But when he's not solid...he's painful. Though truthfully...even when he's solid...so long as he's himself, which is something he can never change, he'll only ever be a source of pain for others.]
...You'll end up hurt too. I wanted to come here...for a reason, Nanami. Please, let me explain.
[The part of him that knows they're still friends, and that realizes she's become terribly important to him, it doesn't want her to let go. But Ryou does try to step back.
It hurts, deep in his heart, to do that.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-11 07:09 am (UTC)Now that she's not rushing towards him, at this distance, the buggy features of her face are much more evident. So, to her, is the glowing purple color of his tail. Without turning her head, she peers at it with her compound eyes. She's never noticed that before. ]
What-- what reason, Ryou-kun? [ She's heard a little of what happened from Atem. She's terribly worried about the state Ryou's in right now. ]
cw; self-deprecatiion
Date: 2022-11-11 07:36 am (UTC)I've done enough. I've tried to change my luck, but it won't stick. I tried to be strong, but nothing helps. So...
[He swallows hard, his tail curling around one leg as his ears lower. He can't look at her.]
We should only spend short periods of time in close contact.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-11 07:43 am (UTC)It still takes her by surprise, as does the short little laugh that comes out of her. The truth stirs inside her, and not a happy one, but not really a sad one either. ]
I'm going to suffer anyway. We all are. That's part of all of this.
[ Life? Ryslig? Being a monster?
She takes his hand and, if he doesn't pull away, tugs him gently towards the table. ]
Come on. Sit down with me. You want some tea? I'm working on the template...
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-11 07:49 am (UTC)[Ryou doesn't pull his hand from hers--he's weak, he doesn't really want to push her away--but he hesitates to move forward.]
The kind of things that people do, to try and help someone like me, who can't be helped...those kinds of things can damage you, irreparably. Y-you have to take it seriously! I don't deserve your kindness, or your...
...your tea, or anything.
I came here to tell you that.
[Why did he have to come here? Idiot. Stupid, selfish idiot.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-11 07:56 am (UTC)[ She's going to try one more time, to tug him in the direction of the couch and table. She's watching that door, in case he tries to leave, to run away.
But after a moment, she shrinks back down to her smaller size and flits over to the quarters' little kitchenette, where she grows again. Making good on her offer. Starting a kettle up and preparing a couple of mugs. He may not think he'll be here long, but she does. ]
You're not the only friend I've had who has bad luck, you know. [ She leans on the counter and watches him with big compound eyes. ] When he was here... did you know Nagito Komaeda?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-11 08:19 am (UTC)...No one ever does, do they? Why would they? He'd gotten very comfortable here in Ryslig, being slightly over his station. But reality had begun to set in. Ryou Bakura was never of great importance to anyone, not even the person he'd given his heart to.
It had ended so easily...Atem had told him that he couldn't be around him anymore, that he'd given up so much of himself to do so, and he couldn't be around such a luckless person and put his friends or himself in danger anymore
He'd hurt people...for Ryou. And now he regretted it.
...Perhaps Nanami doesn't mean to grind in the thumbscrews, but when she asks about Komaeda, he exhales sharply.]
Y...yes.
[He looks to the floor, standing rigidly in place.]
I knew of him. He was close with Atem...and we'd spoken several times, as well.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-11 08:31 am (UTC)But he's got her entire attention. Because she cares about him. Because she wants to watch for the slightest tells, and help him however she can, even if he doesn't ask directly. ]
He had terrible luck. His life was kind of awful, before Hope's Peak... [ She's able to keep from telling more, in case Ryou doesn't. That part isn't her story to tell, and she's told him the most important basic fact of it. ]
So when he came to school... he tried so hard to push his friends away. Us. His classmates. And it worked.
He left the school without much fanfare, and his classmates... didn't miss him much, mostly. [ Except for her. ] I only saw him one more time after that.
[ The kettle starts to whistle, and she pours the water into the two mugs. Carefully, carefully. ]
I've never really forgiven myself for that, I guess. Even when that stage over the summer told me I couldn't have done anything. But even then, I wish I'd spent more time with him when he was around.
... So I don't want to leave you behind, either.
cw; self-sabotage, self-hatred, just. man. cw; YIKES.
Date: 2022-11-12 08:24 am (UTC)C-come on. Don't be this way. I attacked you...with intent to injure, if not kill. If Crash and Altair hadn't been there, you might not have left unscathed. And then...you had to be exposed to me, in Felfri, when I got hurt, over and over.
...You should cut your losses.
[Ryou chooses to sit not at the table, but at the couch. And for all his height, he still manages to draw his legs in, hold them tight to his chest, and peer over his knees at Nanami, looking frustrated and uncertain.]
The kind of misfortune I bring is dangerous. I don't know whether his was...I don't really know much about him except that he was...rather fond of Atem.
[Ryou shouldn't be jealous, but now, with Atem having decided to throw him away, why should he care if he's jealous? Any of their progress on matters like this? It didn't matter. Because Ryou was a curse.
Just thinking about how Atem had cowered from him, said he couldn't be around Ryou anymore, has his eyes burning hot, brimming with tears that spill over so quickly he couldn't stop them if he wanted to.]
It's okay. I p-promise...if you choose a path away from me.
It'll be alright.
[It won't. His heart aches at the thought.]
I'll survive.
[He's not sure if he will, actually.]
I've always done alright, when my friends didn't remember I was there, or when I wasn't ever as close as they were to each other. It's just how it is.
cw: refs to past violence
Date: 2022-11-12 08:35 am (UTC)[ She tends to the tea, adding lemon and plenty of honey to Ryou's, and a modest amount to hers. Slowly she stirs them. Not bringing them over to him just yet. ]
I have a friend here who killed me, once. I have a friend here who broke my arm. I have friends who are terrorists, or supervillains, or witches, or shinigami... My best friend watched me d-die in front of him, and d-didn't do anything about it.
[ She swallows her emotion. At least she can't cry. This isn't about her. She takes a deep breath.
Thank goodness the truthtelling didn't force her to elaborate. ]
I asked you, once... if it was okay... if I was still your friend. Bakura-kun... I don't want to ask anymore. I just want to be your friend, as long as you'll have me. Because I love you. I don't care how cursed you think you are!
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-12 08:48 am (UTC)I'm sorry. Your friends...s-should never...n-n-never hurt you...!!
[He can't. He can't.
Ryou sobs, gripping his legs so hard that his claws prick against his own skin, through his clothing.]
I'm s...sorry, I can't--help. I can't do a-anything, I'm not good! I'm not good for anyone!! You shouldn't be my friend if it means I'll end up tearing you apart, by just being me. I already l...lost him, I can't bear to have you scared of me, disgusted with me!
[The longer he goes on, the thicker the words become, catching in his throat as he cries. Ryou can't help it, he can't help the pain he's in, or pushing it out on her, even though he doesn't want to.
He's a coward. He could have left by now. He could have said such hurtful things to her, to push her away...!!
He doesn't...really want to though.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-12 09:35 am (UTC)[ She picks up the mugs and walks them over to the table - not flying, because that wouldn't be stable enough. Sits down on the couch next to him, and places two gentle left hands on his back. ]
The point is that-- I still love them, with my whole heart. Just like I love you too. I can't change that about me, Ryou-kun. It's part of who I am.
[ She gathers the trembling shade into a six-armed hug. He's hurting so much, isn't he? She wishes she could help soothe that pain. ]
I can't stop loving you, even if I wanted to. And I don't want to stop. I'm not scared of you, Ryou-kun, even if you're hurting, or having a hard time.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-13 06:37 am (UTC)Something Atem did. Ryou thought he was being merciful.
Instead, letting Atem strike out at AM and then being concerned for him had led to him losing his love.
Because of this...he doesn't hug Nanami back. He stays where he's at, limp and useless, but as a result, he doesn't shove her away either.
And yet...]
You will. Eventually, you'll realize what I've made you do too. Then, you'll leave.
I h-hope...when you do go...it's not as a broken spirit...
[Ryou's tail curls around one of his legs, tight and uncomfortable, like a nervous snake.]
I'm a curse. I'm doomed to cause pain. What a terrible person to love.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-13 07:44 am (UTC)[ She says it gently, and hugs him tighter, running a hand through his hair. ]
You're not doomed, and you're not a terrible person. Bad things happen to you, but they happen to all of us... and you try so hard to be kind, and to help the ones you love...
You know I'm telling the truth, Ryou-kun... I couldn't lie if I wanted to, right now...
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-14 05:19 pm (UTC)She's not lying.
She's just incorrect. He's sure of it.]
Bat things happen to me, all the time, enough that...that even the ones I love get hurt! My pain spreads...a-across my relationships. Atem...h-he's right. He should never have given up what he did...to help me.
I'm nothing but a hindrance.
[And yet, he finds himself burying his face into her shoulder, as best he can, and crying so hard he feels like he can't breathe.]
Hhh...h-he. He won't...ever take me back. His face...he looked s-so scared, and revolted...
I don't want to cause that, ever again...being kind isn't enough! Helping people i-isn't enough, if...they'll suffer because of me...instead of just this place.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-16 09:42 am (UTC)We don't know that people will suffer. [ It's what she told Atem, and it was just as true then. ] All we have to do... is, is take what comes, and deal with it together.
Even if-- even if Atem-kun never wants to see you again-- [ And she would have a talk with Atem if that was the case, she's sure of it-- ] I do. Your friends will, too, I think-- he's not your only friend, Ryou-kun.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-29 01:35 am (UTC)[He shakes his head, biting back a pained wail at the confirmation
(she's not confirming it she's just talking back with you)
that Atem would never want to see him again.]
My friends...they're his friends too. They...they ought to just be his friend. He's stronger, better at this than I could ever be. He's had to help me with everything, there's nothing I've done on my own, ever...
[That...probably isn't true. But Ryou is distraught enough that he can't think of a single time Atem hasn't won the game for him right now.]
And with him, you...d-don't have to worry about being hurt because I'm nothing but bad luck...
(no subject)
Date: 2022-11-30 10:18 am (UTC)You were my friend, even when I had only just turned into a merperson... I didn't even have all my powers yet... and I still don't have powers from the Fog like you do...
pls excuse this nothingburger i will dialogue in the next one
Date: 2022-12-01 07:18 am (UTC)But the more she speaks--the more he speaks--the less he wants to fight anything anymore. So he doesn't respond to her, and instead cries pitifully like the useless monster he is, with clawed fingers curled against Nanami's back. There's nothing he can do...she won't give up on him, like he's given up on himself.
It's likely to be a minute before he can even compose himself. This time, the argument must have been much worse...]
eats the burger yum yum
Date: 2022-12-04 02:14 am (UTC)So she holds onto him, stroking his hair gently; letting him cry as much as he needs to. She's here, and she isn't going anywhere. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-12-05 04:27 am (UTC)There's too much...far too much pain in his heart to articulate it at this point. But eventually, after what feels like forever
(or ten minutes, whichever feels less short)
Ryou finally pulls away, swiping at his face with a sleeve. He looks truly miserable and lost.]
Sorry, I...nnh, I just--I thought...things would be better, and then Felfri...happened...and I thought I was a better, st-stronger person. But I'm not, I keep messing up, and now...now it's really over, isn't it?
[His shoulders slump forward, and he stares down into his lap. This is pathetic. He's pathetic. He shouldn't be this low...not after the first time, right? Their bond...it's been shaken already. Maybe Atem really doesn't care about him anymore...and Ryou's the one to blame for it.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-12-09 10:48 am (UTC)But she takes his big clawed hand regardless and squeezes it. ] Felfri was terrible... let's never go back, okay? I hated what it did to all of us...
cw suicidal thought
Date: 2022-12-13 12:54 am (UTC)[He shakes his head, but the implication is there. He'd rather die than suffer anymore time in E+L's domain.
He curls his too-big fingers around her hand as well, looking up at her with puffy, gray-ringed eyes that are still damp with tears. He's a mess.]
I wish I understood.
[His friends? Atem?
...Anything.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-12-13 09:35 am (UTC)We'll figure it out together, okay? Just... I'm not going anywhere.
[ And that's the truth; she'll keep coming back, even if he wants otherwise. ]
... Is there anything I can get for you? You can stay here, if you like, there's extra rooms... and a portal back to the apartments, too, if you need anything there...
(no subject)
Date: 2022-12-26 07:38 am (UTC)I'm...I'm tired.
[Crying is tiring. Being broken up with is tiring. Knowing that he's on this fucking peninsula simply to further the pain of others is tiring.
He needs a nap and he doesn't even realize the extent to which he needs one...]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-12-26 10:22 am (UTC)... Hold on.
[ She extricates herself carefully from the hug; shrinks down and flits into the next room.
Just a few seconds later, she's walking back out at full size with an extra couple of blankets, and lays them on the couch. ]
You can nap here or in one of the rooms. The whole place-- it's yours, okay?
[ And she pulls him back into a hug, holding him close. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2023-01-07 09:23 am (UTC)...Okay.
[When Nanami hugs him, his arms wrap around her loosely, and his tail, which generally keeps to itself around anyone but Atem, curls around one of her ankles, as if for further support.
Then, the sheets she'd brough lift themselves up, and settle around the both of them. He doesn't want to break the silence. She might change her mind. She might leave...and he selfishly wants her to stay.
He could rest like this. He really could...]
(no subject)
Date: 2023-01-07 10:22 am (UTC)She's his friend, and she's not leaving his side. Not until he tires of her, or needs to go somewhere else. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2023-01-10 07:50 am (UTC)He wanted to. But now...he's not so sure about it. Not for a little while. He's selfish anyway, he knows he is, and that he's unforgivable for it. So, he stays curled up close to Nanami, until he does feel like going to sleep and forgetting all of the pain dancing around in his head, carving hateful, angry channels across his thoughts.
Quietly, as he starts to doze, he murmurs something that he might not have the mental bandwidth to remember later.]
Thank you...Chiaki.