[She shouldn't need to reach out to anyone. Cait is good at compartmentalizing, keeping all the pieces of herself hidden away unless she needs them. It shouldn't hurt this much that her only friend here is asking her to do the unthinkable, but it does. And without Jayce to talk to about it, where else can she go?
It's strange, to feel trapped. To go from managing an entire army to feeling like the only one in the room who has a flicker of sanity left. She doesn't really know who to talk to about this, but she knows the benefit of hearing your own thoughts out loud, and knows that there's at least one person she's met who can look at things through an analytical lens and give her the cold facts.
She doesn't really need advice, but she could use a little perspective.
[ and he shouldn't have to be responsible for anyone after his fumble: the death of agent choi, allowing subaru sumeragi to almost succumb to his injuries... isn't he the last person anyone should come to? it's a headache, one that forces soleum to keep a low profile, stay out of the way, and lay in the backseat of his car to clear his mind.
occasionally, he'll wear his mask, he'll connect to the murmur to listen very briefly to what's said. he doesn't like it, the thought of those freely invading his mind isn't something he likes, and the moment he's ready to remove the mask—
a voice.
a familiar one, and just this once soleum keeps on his mask contemplating what would be the right move to make. even if his own feelings are stretched thin, there's no need to make it known to anyone else. that's why he replies, polite and confident as always. ]
Miss Indigo, a pleasure to hear from you. Roe Deer speaking.
[ even as he lays with a tired look in his eyes, it doesn't stop him from playing the role of "roe deer". ]
[ after the depths, there's no other choice but survive.
he doesn't do personal, only because learning about certain characters means to acknowledge their situations. watching them from a distance is normal, for the reader, a viewer, but he can't send her away when she asks him like this. ]
I'm free. If it's personal, is this a conversation you want to have face to face?
[ that seems considerate for her only question, besides it's better than trying to understand where he falls between friend and enemy. ]
[ More or less, Caelus is back to full energy after a relatively peaceful week compared to the ones before it… It's nice to have some downtime, to allow everyone to breathe, rest, and adjust. But now, it's time to get back to work. That is, gathering parts for his crafts. He's never really entirely stopped this habit, even during the previous week— just less often, more controlled, and more rest.
Now, though, there's no need to hold back. All of Caelus's injuries from months ago have entirely healed, and even his newer scratches from the underground mayhem are all gone as well. Wholly bandage-free! So, he's energetically back to his usual movements, hopping here and there, and an occasional parkour with his skateboard.
Including… incidentally landing on top of a car that happens to belong to a certain person. He's on the roof now, oblivious to the person underneath. But not for long!! ]
So many nice materials around here. Time to take them all!
[ like a startled cat, soleum lifts up from where he's sleeping and stares outside the window with a beat of his heart. brows furrowing, the man shifts to his hands and kneels to crawl to one side of the car. something's up there?
someone's talking.
can't they do this somewhere else? reaching for his glasses, soleum brings them to his face, and the rounded rims peer out to check how much daylight is left. too much it seems, so whoever is out here jumping on the roof of cars can do this for awhile longer, but...
clearing his throat, soleum rolls the window down with the crank attached to the door.
a low, worried voice escapes from out the car. ]
Um... can you do that... somewhere else? Thanks...
[ Oh, hello, what's this. In the middle of the man's quiet request, as he's still talking, Caelus coincidentally sits at one side of the car, his legs fully folded underneath him, and— peers down! Because he wants to check the car interior for anything useful! His head is upside-down, a vibrant expression immediately face-to-face with the sullen man.
What a contrast. This is entirely accidental, by the way. So, Caelus blinks several times as he sees this person, not expecting to see someone in the car. But he's so quick to beam out a blinding smile. He might as well be brighter than the sun above. ]
just a disheveled man who's wearing a white t-shirt with black pants that's pretty tattered. dark bags under his eyes bring out the sharpness of his lashes as he stares at the individual from behind his glasses. ]
...Okay?
[ means very little to him, but the man in the car doesn't really seem like the morning type, more so, he hasn't been able to sleep at all. day in and day out, whenever he tries to sleep, it's always short-lived. tired, the man brings a hand to his face, scratching at his cheek to appear like someone who isn't attached to the idea of being friendly.
[ it's not by much, but sundowning has provided as much of an incentive as agent choi had thought it might—for soleum to accept the necessary risk of tethering. even so, it's hard to get him up in the apartment, and that car of his isn't ideal either. combined, these factors have led them to a solution of meeting up in another, more neutral space, bringing agent choi tot he cafe that he waits in now.
he's a patient man, and responsible too, so of course this ace agent has shown up a little bit early for the occasion. unfortunately, that may not have been the wisest decision today, when—
click.
the already dim light flickers out, throwing the room into darkness.
within the dark confines of the cafe, the chill sets in without hesitation, sinking deep under choi's skin, and he can feel the energy slowly seeping out of his body as well. his eyes, still sharp and bright despite the low light of his surroundings, flit momentarily to the door, but...
that kid, he's not the type to worry about himself either. if he doesn't know which direction soleum is coming from, he doesn't know where to cut him off from either, and choi can't take him for the kind of well-behaved kid who will find his way out and patiently wait for a teammate from safety. on the contrary, there's never been a danger that kim soleum didn't throw himself into, and he does nothing in halves.
so, instead of fleeing to safety himself, agent choi props his feet up on the table in front of him...
— it only has to be me and you, friend! let's find somewhere to rest, this is an opportune time to let the show and the actors rest.
however, soleum ignores it. he wrings his wrists as he looks left and right, then down to his chest where there's nothing. lately, he's started scratching at the area, and he can't tell if blood as manifested or it's a trick of the light. closing his eyes, he takes a moment to calm down and digest the state of the city. it's dreary, some lights spark and others don't, somehow his skin feels colder that he's wrapping his arms around his body.
— it only has to be me and you, friend! you'll work yourself to death if you don't slow down. no one is here, go far over there, and you can think to yourself.
however, soleum ignores it. he's supposed to come to a cafe, a place that's been the interest of agent choi for some time. when he reaches it, it's absent, the life it once had replaced by a comforting darkness that soleum's unable to understand. it feels better than the voice in his head, that friend of his sounds off, or maybe because soleum wants it to be. if he can believe that there's nothing to guide him away from the goal he has now then he'll make it without interruption.
he doesn't go any closer, but he scouts around in search of agent choi who is meant to be here. ]
Hello?
[ he stands on the edge of this forbidden and unusual space, he doesn't say any less and he doesn't say any more. he does gravitate towards the anomaly, but is it worth it?
agent choi will hear a familiar voice that leaks inside that abandoned space. ]
Hello, I'm here. I came through the back way. Apologies for being late, Agent-nim. Hello? Is anyone here?
[ the moment the voice rings through the cafe, agent choi's chair clatters against the ground, sitting him straight up. his eyes aren't quite so bright or alert as they should be—on the contrary, they strain even in the familiar darkness, heavy and dry as an effect, he imagines, of remaining for so long.
but he can't simply leave his hoobae to fend for himself—not when agent choi knows what kind of person he is.
jingle, jingle.
the bells strapped to his back on the handle of his jakdu ring out bright and clear, grounding him for the first time today, and it's thanks to them that he can feel confident in his decision. even tired, even aching, even pessimistic about whether he had chosen to do the right thing, that voice alongside the cheerful ringing only reaffirms him.
[ the jingles resound in the darkness, it passes through various rooms, it spreads and the area shudders. perhaps the darkness shifts uncomfortably, it twists and curls that trained eyes can't see when it all looks the same. the voice that should still have the same cadence hesitates now, the reply slightly shaky from the sudden change from the room. kim soleum? a sharp exhale, as distant as it is, remains in a room opposite of where agent choi is.
it trembles, the voice is in pain, it reaches out almost helpless.
an echo. ] Agent-nim,ithurts.
[ clarity isn't needed, the desire to infect the mind is, corrode it more and more. ] [ on the other side...
— what are you waiting for, friend!
he raises his brow, eyes flutter back down to his chest where nothing is, but this isn't unfamiliar for someone like braun. not here, but able to be in his thoughts, though there's something bothering him. ]
What about my body?
[ soleum questions because aren't these the wrong types of complaints, and there's a playful "hm?" paired with the weight of a gloved hand on his shoulder to add as reassurance.
— what about your body, friend? enough questions, shouldn't we go?
yes, there are no proper reassurances here as soleum takes one step into the unidentifiable zone— it's like static as he enters, something pulls and tugs, and that connection towards agent choi trembles at the same time as "it hurts".
across the parking lot, he comes closer and closer to the building, and his body for some reason feels almost sluggish. he ignores it because if agent choi wasn't waiting outside, then where would he be if not close by? inside, preferably, or that's what soleum is guessing and with the situation as it is, he's unable to ignore it. ] Agent-nim, [ it clears its throat, now reassuring... or attempting to be. ] I can help you if we stay here and think of a plan.
( There's a soft sort of thump against the window of his car-made-bed, as Guren's arms are currently full of soup...cat. It's dark, still so early in the morning that the moon has yet to sleep, and the light it reflects over the city shows dim hints of Guren's chewed up shadow.
He thumps his free fist again, this time harder. )
Heyyy. Raisin man, or whatever. Open up and take your shitty cat back, already.
[ if it had went any further, he's sure he would have lost his mind by now. the concept of tethers keeping his mind at ease, that dull throb in the back of his head that came from voices that weren't his in various ranges, some like the click of a tv and others melded together. these he suffers from now are from overthinking, did he makes the right decision, is it fine to let the contamination of this place run it's course—
the sound of a thump, and the tiredness has caught up to him keeping agent grapes from jumping. leaning up, he turns his head in direction of the sound where glasses slide down his nose, and the bags under his eyes emphasize the exhausted expression he holds.
there's an invisible heavy weight with what comes along with that thump and that voice, and agent grapes contemplates how much the interaction is worth. without much of a response, guren can hear the car door unclick, and once he moves out of the way will the man push the door open. ]
It's been... [ two weeks-ish, he's hardly been keeping up with the time, but it's been a long time. the creature in the boy's arms now that agent grapes has locked eyes doesn't melt as bad as it did, but it's very hard to ignore the look of guren's shadow that doesn't match his appearance. ] some time.
[ under the sky's light, dark eyes show a bit of crimson as he acknowledges the issue. ]
( Grumpy and growling, not unlike a dog in a bad mood, he scowls, both arms now shifting to support the weight and texture of this shadowy, soup-like cat. Sure, it's not falling through his fingers like the first day, but watching it laze about is pissing him off.
...So he says. He's absolutely played with it when no one was looking. For now, though, he snags the creature up from beneath its legs and holds it out to man in front of him, insistent. )
What the hell is this thing, anyway? It chewed off pieces of my shadow, and now they won't come back!
[ is that so? and here he was calling agent grapes out of his name, of course anyone would be offended, right!? his perfect name that he chose for a perfect bureau agent, and he's trying his hardest not to seem bothered! this name that took him so much time and effort to play outside of the naming convention so that it stands out, and guren affords him the name of "raisin"! shriveled, unwanted, but still tasty to the older generation (soleum's not that old!). however, the older crowd do love their dogs, don't they? ]
Treat others the way you want to be treated. [ learn his! agent grapes! g r a p e s! he won't say it in a childish manner though, but he'll be a responsible adult.
ugh...
when he reaches out for the cat, it—however snagged—swings its body to coil around guren's arm to not be removed. agent grapes' gaze sharpens, and he's already getting up from where he's sitting to close the distance. as he stares at the pattern of the cat, it always hangs close to guren's shadow and never tries to move away. ]
Did you suffer any changes recently or are you recovering?
[ soleum did, he suffered quite an amount during then, but mentally he knows he's better. his eyes fall upon guren unsure, from the look of him, he holds a sharp, human appearance aside from his shadow that hasn't been able to return to normal. whether it's permanent or takes some time, they'll never know with this creature latched to him the way it is. cold, but comforting, even though it's wrapped around him which looks tight, it is as gentle as ever. ]
[ ever since being swallowed up once by that darkness, Manhattan has only gotten stranger, more unpredictable. more and more, kamui finds it difficult to sleep. it mosaics between bloodied petals and a restlessness so unsettling he has to get up and pace or walk through the city despite its growing dangers. something pulls at him, a slow barely-there current. at the same time, something warns him away. it sets the fur of his ears on end and makes his eyes narrow to slits only to widen almost comically at the smallest burst of light.
today, his light footfalls press through the snow towards an unplanned visit to agent choi. he had thought of asking caelus, or perhaps aventurine. in a moment where it felt like he coughed for an hour straight he even had an impossibly brief second in which he considered seeking out seishirou. but choi had visited with him before, was the one to name it; maybe that is why.
and, if kamui were honest about it?
he likes him. at first, he had reminded him of someone from home. but it is as often these things are: first, the familiar, second, the unfamiliar, and in between: ah this is you.
with his tail curled tightly around his own waist, another borrowed jacket hanging a bit too large on his shoulders, this is how he runs into soleum. he hasn't forgotten anything. the time in the car was not long ago nor was it brief. in some senses kamui feels he has run into soleum the most without ever planning to. this also falls into that category. ]
Is it okay to be out? The city keeps changing...kind of like black holes.
[ even a teenager can read the room sometimes, or at least put himself in the best place for what he wants. soleum had said he doesn't think of himself but kamui doesn't agree of that at all. he does, now in fact, by not asking if he can tag along. instead, he just falls into stride with him, pausing if he pauses, speeding up if he does that. due to his cat ears remaining, kamui's mask rests normally on his face rather than to the side as he would normally wear it when he looks completely human. as always, the bells make no noise despite their disruption with each step. ]
[ it's because soleum doesn't think about surviving, he thinks about going home. he's an enigma to all the things people feel here, and all he wants to do is understand the cause behind all of this, and how they can take advantage of it. he doesn't run because he's trying to hide from being swallowed by the dark voids, he brings himself out with a purpose and a bounce to his step.
the more energy the better he has to run and not get caught. he doesn't expect who he runs into, and he wouldn't have minded it if they were two ships passing by one another without making contact. it's not the case, because two separate directions because one singular as kamui proceeds to follow along.
he never asks where kamui was going as that's not important, nor does he play the card of "i'm not who you think i am," because he wasn't able to avoid him then, how could he avoid him now even when he's dressed in entirely different attire— the lack of suit and in it's place a white shirt and jogging pants, but that roe deer mask placed on properly. ]
What's the safest place you can think of? I'll take you there.
[ it's not safe, it's as dangerous as it's ever been, and even soleum doesn't feel confident in his choices at the moment. that doesn't mean he'll allow for kamui to accompany him under these circumstances, especially when he comes in contact with these voids he feels... not like himself. he doesn't have a name for the feeling, or maybe the tug, all he knows is that he has to avoid long term exposure. he can't allow himself to fall into it again.
and the other thing he can't allow is kamui following after him when he only has a contingency plan for himself and not them both. ]
The haven't caught up to here, that means there's detours we can take.
[ his words come from behind his mask, firm as always and the direction in his logic that he takes is handle kamui first, continue on his own path second. ]
[ having already fallen into one prior, there are the inklings of that which clings and calls to kamui already though they get confused in his head with other things. it serves him however inadvertently, and allows him so-far since that first time to persist outside of them, narrowly avoiding them even in more riddled areas. some of this is the contradictory instinct in him that draws him to that which is inside these Voids, but also alerts him more sharply to the danger inherent. so when soleum asks him where to go, kamui...shakes his head. ]
I'll stay with you.
[ unlike in the car, he does not ask permission. he knows very well that soleum could just turn him out, so to speak, not out of a car but out of his company. at the same time, it might be too much trouble for him to get rid of kamui and part of him banks on that, once again drawn to soleum in a way he cannot really explain but has experienced enough repetitions of that he recognizes it. like some invisible loop of string or a ripple of familiarity. cat. person with deer mask. can of peaches. subaru. everything matters and kamui follows it like an animal with a scent caught in the air, his sleek black tail wrapped snugly around his own waist. ]
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jan week 3
It's strange, to feel trapped. To go from managing an entire army to feeling like the only one in the room who has a flicker of sanity left. She doesn't really know who to talk to about this, but she knows the benefit of hearing your own thoughts out loud, and knows that there's at least one person she's met who can look at things through an analytical lens and give her the cold facts.
She doesn't really need advice, but she could use a little perspective.
Or just someone to vent to.]
Roe Deer? Are you there?
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occasionally, he'll wear his mask, he'll connect to the murmur to listen very briefly to what's said. he doesn't like it, the thought of those freely invading his mind isn't something he likes, and the moment he's ready to remove the mask—
a voice.
a familiar one, and just this once soleum keeps on his mask contemplating what would be the right move to make. even if his own feelings are stretched thin, there's no need to make it known to anyone else. that's why he replies, polite and confident as always. ]
Miss Indigo, a pleasure to hear from you.
Roe Deer speaking.
[ even as he lays with a tired look in his eyes, it doesn't stop him from playing the role of "roe deer". ]
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[The last few weeks haven't been easy for anyone.]
I was hoping to speak with you... on a more personal level. I don't exactly have many friends here, and - well, one can say I have some enemies.
Is this a good time?
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[ after the depths, there's no other choice but survive.
he doesn't do personal, only because learning about certain characters means to acknowledge their situations. watching them from a distance is normal, for the reader, a viewer, but he can't send her away when she asks him like this. ]
I'm free. If it's personal, is this a conversation you want to have face to face?
[ that seems considerate for her only question, besides it's better than trying to understand where he falls between friend and enemy. ]
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Early Week 4
Now, though, there's no need to hold back. All of Caelus's injuries from months ago have entirely healed, and even his newer scratches from the underground mayhem are all gone as well. Wholly bandage-free! So, he's energetically back to his usual movements, hopping here and there, and an occasional parkour with his skateboard.
Including… incidentally landing on top of a car that happens to belong to a certain person. He's on the roof now, oblivious to the person underneath. But not for long!! ]
So many nice materials around here. Time to take them all!
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someone's talking.
can't they do this somewhere else? reaching for his glasses, soleum brings them to his face, and the rounded rims peer out to check how much daylight is left. too much it seems, so whoever is out here jumping on the roof of cars can do this for awhile longer, but...
clearing his throat, soleum rolls the window down with the crank attached to the door.
a low, worried voice escapes from out the car. ]
Um... can you do that... somewhere else? Thanks...
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What a contrast. This is entirely accidental, by the way. So, Caelus blinks several times as he sees this person, not expecting to see someone in the car. But he's so quick to beam out a blinding smile. He might as well be brighter than the sun above. ]
Good morning!
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just a disheveled man who's wearing a white t-shirt with black pants that's pretty tattered. dark bags under his eyes bring out the sharpness of his lashes as he stares at the individual from behind his glasses. ]
...Okay?
[ means very little to him, but the man in the car doesn't really seem like the morning type, more so, he hasn't been able to sleep at all. day in and day out, whenever he tries to sleep, it's always short-lived. tired, the man brings a hand to his face, scratching at his cheek to appear like someone who isn't attached to the idea of being friendly.
also, he's buying time to think of what to say. ]
Can you get off my lodgings....
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dark signs, week 2
he's a patient man, and responsible too, so of course this ace agent has shown up a little bit early for the occasion. unfortunately, that may not have been the wisest decision today, when—
click.
the already dim light flickers out, throwing the room into darkness.
within the dark confines of the cafe, the chill sets in without hesitation, sinking deep under choi's skin, and he can feel the energy slowly seeping out of his body as well. his eyes, still sharp and bright despite the low light of his surroundings, flit momentarily to the door, but...
that kid, he's not the type to worry about himself either. if he doesn't know which direction soleum is coming from, he doesn't know where to cut him off from either, and choi can't take him for the kind of well-behaved kid who will find his way out and patiently wait for a teammate from safety. on the contrary, there's never been a danger that kim soleum didn't throw himself into, and he does nothing in halves.
so, instead of fleeing to safety himself, agent choi props his feet up on the table in front of him...
and waits. ]
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— it only has to be me and you, friend! let's find somewhere to rest, this is an opportune time to let the show and the actors rest.
however, soleum ignores it. he wrings his wrists as he looks left and right, then down to his chest where there's nothing. lately, he's started scratching at the area, and he can't tell if blood as manifested or it's a trick of the light. closing his eyes, he takes a moment to calm down and digest the state of the city. it's dreary, some lights spark and others don't, somehow his skin feels colder that he's wrapping his arms around his body.
— it only has to be me and you, friend! you'll work yourself to death if you don't slow down. no one is here, go far over there, and you can think to yourself.
however, soleum ignores it. he's supposed to come to a cafe, a place that's been the interest of agent choi for some time. when he reaches it, it's absent, the life it once had replaced by a comforting darkness that soleum's unable to understand. it feels better than the voice in his head, that friend of his sounds off, or maybe because soleum wants it to be. if he can believe that there's nothing to guide him away from the goal he has now then he'll make it without interruption.
he doesn't go any closer, but he scouts around in search of agent choi who is meant to be here. ]
Hello?
[ he stands on the edge of this forbidden and unusual space, he doesn't say any less and he doesn't say any more. he does gravitate towards the anomaly, but is it worth it?
agent choi will hear a familiar voice that leaks inside that abandoned space. ]
Hello, I'm here. I came through the back way. Apologies for being late, Agent-nim. Hello? Is anyone here?
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but he can't simply leave his hoobae to fend for himself—not when agent choi knows what kind of person he is.
jingle, jingle.
the bells strapped to his back on the handle of his jakdu ring out bright and clear, grounding him for the first time today, and it's thanks to them that he can feel confident in his decision. even tired, even aching, even pessimistic about whether he had chosen to do the right thing, that voice alongside the cheerful ringing only reaffirms him.
so it's up to his feet, a step forward, and—
he cups a hand to his mouth, calling back: ]
Grapes? I'm in here~
[ marco! ]
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it trembles, the voice is in pain, it reaches out almost helpless.
an echo. ]
Agent-nim, it hurts.
[ clarity isn't needed, the desire to infect the mind is, corrode it more and more. ]
[ on the other side...
— what are you waiting for, friend!
he raises his brow, eyes flutter back down to his chest where nothing is, but this isn't unfamiliar for someone like braun. not here, but able to be in his thoughts, though there's something bothering him. ]
What about my body?
[ soleum questions because aren't these the wrong types of complaints, and there's a playful "hm?" paired with the weight of a gloved hand on his shoulder to add as reassurance.
— what about your body, friend? enough questions, shouldn't we go?
yes, there are no proper reassurances here as soleum takes one step into the unidentifiable zone— it's like static as he enters, something pulls and tugs, and that connection towards agent choi trembles at the same time as "it hurts".
across the parking lot, he comes closer and closer to the building, and his body for some reason feels almost sluggish. he ignores it because if agent choi wasn't waiting outside, then where would he be if not close by? inside, preferably, or that's what soleum is guessing and with the situation as it is, he's unable to ignore it. ]
Agent-nim, [ it clears its throat, now reassuring... or attempting to be. ] I can help you if we stay here and think of a plan.
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maybe juuuust before dark signs week 1? if this works!
( There's a soft sort of thump against the window of his car-made-bed, as Guren's arms are currently full of soup...cat. It's dark, still so early in the morning that the moon has yet to sleep, and the light it reflects over the city shows dim hints of Guren's chewed up shadow.
He thumps his free fist again, this time harder. )
Heyyy. Raisin man, or whatever. Open up and take your shitty cat back, already.
yes, this works perfectly!!
the sound of a thump, and the tiredness has caught up to him keeping agent grapes from jumping. leaning up, he turns his head in direction of the sound where glasses slide down his nose, and the bags under his eyes emphasize the exhausted expression he holds.
there's an invisible heavy weight with what comes along with that thump and that voice, and agent grapes contemplates how much the interaction is worth. without much of a response, guren can hear the car door unclick, and once he moves out of the way will the man push the door open. ]
It's been... [ two weeks-ish, he's hardly been keeping up with the time, but it's been a long time. the creature in the boy's arms now that agent grapes has locked eyes doesn't melt as bad as it did, but it's very hard to ignore the look of guren's shadow that doesn't match his appearance. ] some time.
[ under the sky's light, dark eyes show a bit of crimson as he acknowledges the issue. ]
The cat has taken a liking to you, Meongmeongi.
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( Grumpy and growling, not unlike a dog in a bad mood, he scowls, both arms now shifting to support the weight and texture of this shadowy, soup-like cat. Sure, it's not falling through his fingers like the first day, but watching it laze about is pissing him off.
...So he says. He's absolutely played with it when no one was looking. For now, though, he snags the creature up from beneath its legs and holds it out to man in front of him, insistent. )
What the hell is this thing, anyway? It chewed off pieces of my shadow, and now they won't come back!
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Treat others the way you want to be treated. [ learn his! agent grapes! g r a p e s! he won't say it in a childish manner though, but he'll be a responsible adult.
ugh...
when he reaches out for the cat, it—however snagged—swings its body to coil around guren's arm to not be removed. agent grapes' gaze sharpens, and he's already getting up from where he's sitting to close the distance. as he stares at the pattern of the cat, it always hangs close to guren's shadow and never tries to move away. ]
Did you suffer any changes recently or are you recovering?
[ soleum did, he suffered quite an amount during then, but mentally he knows he's better. his eyes fall upon guren unsure, from the look of him, he holds a sharp, human appearance aside from his shadow that hasn't been able to return to normal. whether it's permanent or takes some time, they'll never know with this creature latched to him the way it is. cold, but comforting, even though it's wrapped around him which looks tight, it is as gentle as ever. ]
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I hear we're inspirational damsels now.
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That isn't a term I thought I'd be acknowledging today, would you care to elaborate?
[ "we" ... "we are", now that is something he's never heard of himself being part of ever. ]
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february sometime
within 10 minutes, after waiting patiently, agent choi busts through the murmur like the kool-aid man. ]
woooooooooowwwwww
just who does this brat think he is, hanging up on his senior like that?
[ does he have to remind soleum of his reason for calling? ]
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Agent Choi, you're complaining in the wrong mind space. I can hear you?
[ now his senior can save face, apologize, and then go into his own head and out of soleum's!?!?! ]
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this punk thinks he can just hang up on me and march off into that void?
[ he's just worried, actually. ]
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1/2
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late week 2 / early week 3 (february if that wasn't obvious but it would become so because soupnya)
today, his light footfalls press through the snow towards an unplanned visit to agent choi. he had thought of asking caelus, or perhaps aventurine. in a moment where it felt like he coughed for an hour straight he even had an impossibly brief second in which he considered seeking out seishirou. but choi had visited with him before, was the one to name it; maybe that is why.
and, if kamui were honest about it?
he likes him. at first, he had reminded him of someone from home. but it is as often these things are: first, the familiar, second, the unfamiliar, and in between: ah this is you.
with his tail curled tightly around his own waist, another borrowed jacket hanging a bit too large on his shoulders, this is how he runs into soleum. he hasn't forgotten anything. the time in the car was not long ago nor was it brief. in some senses kamui feels he has run into soleum the most without ever planning to. this also falls into that category. ]
Is it okay to be out? The city keeps changing...kind of like black holes.
[ even a teenager can read the room sometimes, or at least put himself in the best place for what he wants. soleum had said he doesn't think of himself but kamui doesn't agree of that at all. he does, now in fact, by not asking if he can tag along. instead, he just falls into stride with him, pausing if he pauses, speeding up if he does that. due to his cat ears remaining, kamui's mask rests normally on his face rather than to the side as he would normally wear it when he looks completely human. as always, the bells make no noise despite their disruption with each step. ]
he will turn into soup all because of kamui <3
the more energy the better he has to run and not get caught. he doesn't expect who he runs into, and he wouldn't have minded it if they were two ships passing by one another without making contact. it's not the case, because two separate directions because one singular as kamui proceeds to follow along.
he never asks where kamui was going as that's not important, nor does he play the card of "i'm not who you think i am," because he wasn't able to avoid him then, how could he avoid him now even when he's dressed in entirely different attire— the lack of suit and in it's place a white shirt and jogging pants, but that roe deer mask placed on properly. ]
What's the safest place you can think of? I'll take you there.
[ it's not safe, it's as dangerous as it's ever been, and even soleum doesn't feel confident in his choices at the moment. that doesn't mean he'll allow for kamui to accompany him under these circumstances, especially when he comes in contact with these voids he feels... not like himself. he doesn't have a name for the feeling, or maybe the tug, all he knows is that he has to avoid long term exposure. he can't allow himself to fall into it again.
and the other thing he can't allow is kamui following after him when he only has a contingency plan for himself and not them both. ]
The haven't caught up to here, that means there's detours we can take.
[ his words come from behind his mask, firm as always and the direction in his logic that he takes is handle kamui first, continue on his own path second. ]
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I'll stay with you.
[ unlike in the car, he does not ask permission. he knows very well that soleum could just turn him out, so to speak, not out of a car but out of his company. at the same time, it might be too much trouble for him to get rid of kamui and part of him banks on that, once again drawn to soleum in a way he cannot really explain but has experienced enough repetitions of that he recognizes it. like some invisible loop of string or a ripple of familiarity. cat. person with deer mask. can of peaches. subaru. everything matters and kamui follows it like an animal with a scent caught in the air, his sleek black tail wrapped snugly around his own waist. ]
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