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hugtopia_logs2020-04-15 11:23 pm
hugtopiamods) wrote in hugtopia_logs2020-04-15 11:23 pm
Entry tags:
- c: ardbert,
- c: ardyn lucis caelum,
- c: coil lenn,
- c: cyan hijirikawa,
- c: honerva,
- c: kyoko mogami,
- c: lup,
- c: mitsuri kanroji,
- c: nico di angelo,
- c: noctis lucis caelum,
- c: pyra/mythra/pneuma,
- c: regis lucis caelum cxiii,
- c: reyson,
- c: sasuke sarutobi,
- c: shinji ikari,
- c: verstael besithia,
- c: will,
- c: zenitsu agatsuma,
- event
♥ April (Lasai) Event Log
April (Lasai) Event Log
Lasai is a beautiful month. The weather is warmer, the sky is a breathtaking blue again, and with the flowers from Ainir growing nicely, the entire city of Havenwell just feels more alive with every breath. It's a time of renewal, of rebirth, of Ainea's greatest strength as her adherents open the temple gates to invite people and robots from all walks of life to enter and share together. What should be a joyous time, however, is suddenly interrupted as the earthquakes mount day by day through the start of Lasai. Those messages that people have been receiving since Nalom? It seems it's time for the gods to deliver on their promises.
❥ PROMPT I: The Wild Wild West (East, South and North)
As Ainir gives way to Lasai, one morning the earthquakes, which had been growing more frequent again, suddenly mount in their intensity. The entire city is shaking and the native residents cower despite their faith in their gods' protection. The guards along the wall shout alarm and abandon their posts as the walls start to shift under the strain. When the last of them are safely away from the walls, the barrier and the wall itself quivers. The citizens cry out in alarm and fear until they realize that the walls aren't falling - they're moving. And they're moving further out. As everyone in Havenwell looks on, the walls and its surrounding barrier fluctuates and expands, sliding through the city streets as if on hidden tracks, avoiding buildings and ruins, pushing the toxic air and the storm further away. They finally come to rest and snap back into place, new walls rising from who knows where to fill in the gaps. The barrier strengthens and the earthquakes stop, and as the dust settles, a cheer rises from the citizens.
"Praise the gods! Praise the off-worlders!"
Among the din of their celebration, however, other cries start up among the newly incorporated ruins. Cries that sound like howls and screeches, and certainly do not sound human. Grab your weapons and steel yourselves, off-worlders, with the addition of this new space comes the need to clear it of anything potentially dangerous that got caught up in the expansion. Not all creatures you'll find are hostile, but some certainly are. Docile ones might just fetch a nice price from the Research Towers and the Conservatory if you can capture a mating pair.
OOC: These are the creatures you can encounter in the city as you go through to clear it. It's not an invasion level of infestation, as the majority of creatures will prefer to remain inside their known territory beyond the original barrier, but you will on occasion need to take up arms and fight. Next to their names are the frequency with which you can find them, ranging from common to extremely rare.
"Praise the gods! Praise the off-worlders!"
Among the din of their celebration, however, other cries start up among the newly incorporated ruins. Cries that sound like howls and screeches, and certainly do not sound human. Grab your weapons and steel yourselves, off-worlders, with the addition of this new space comes the need to clear it of anything potentially dangerous that got caught up in the expansion. Not all creatures you'll find are hostile, but some certainly are. Docile ones might just fetch a nice price from the Research Towers and the Conservatory if you can capture a mating pair.
OOC: These are the creatures you can encounter in the city as you go through to clear it. It's not an invasion level of infestation, as the majority of creatures will prefer to remain inside their known territory beyond the original barrier, but you will on occasion need to take up arms and fight. Next to their names are the frequency with which you can find them, ranging from common to extremely rare.
- Inky Black Spiders (common - hostile): These relatively small, black spider-like creatures have very basic melee attacks, using their fangs and their sharp legs to bite and claw at people. Those who were around in October when the wall broke will recognize them as the most common enemy back then. Their exoskeletons are hard and when they die, they smash into a black goo. They tend to travel in packs, using sheer numbers to overwhelm their prey.
- One-Eyed Lizard (uncommon - docile): An iridescent scaly purple and green lizard approximately 8 to 10cm in length from tip to tail. It has a single eye at the top of its head that can rotate to see 360 degrees around it. This creature's main defenses are its tough hide and a spine on the tip of its tail which it whips at predators to dissuade them from eating it. It's more likely to run than fight, however, and can usually be found sunbathing on exposed rock with its eye closed.
- "Bone Giraffe" (extremely rare - hostile): A nearly 20-foot tall, long-necked skeleton of a four-legged creature long dead with a single curved horn protruding from its skull and a sharp snout. It's usually found lying in a heap, as if it laid down and died that way. A black seven-petaled flower sometimes (but not always) grows from the skull and beneath the skeleton is an oily black film. Touching the oil slick activates the creature, which draws the oil up into the skeletal cage. Its main attacks are brute force, using its bony legs and neck to kick and slam against its prey, and its acid breath. It breathes a black fume that sizzles and burns anything it touches.
- Rive Talon (rare - hostile - medium): In the past these creatures may have been canines of some form, now they seem to have melded with the detritus of the fallen buildings and creatures of the landscape. Extra spikes, ridges, and protrusions extend from its body at odd angles. Many of them are metal or stone, rather than bone. And some of the bones clearly were not originally its own. (Suggested by Sierra!)
- Outskirts Hare (uncommon - docile): A shy creature, roughly the size and shape of an earth hare, covered in fuzzy-looking, curly pink hair and cat-like whiskers. Normally quite timid, this creature's poor eyesight causes it to flee when it feels threatened, and relies largely on a sense of touch to navigate its surroundings. Contact with this creature's fur is markedly pleasant, but its skin discharges an oil that causes mild skin irritation on contact when it's nervous. Active mostly at night time. (Suggested by Mel!)
- Ansaurini (rare - annoying): a bipedal feathered bird with sharp claws and teeth good for chomping; some possess flight capabilities, but the majority are prone to a lazy waddle. Mostly harmless and deceptively unassuming until you turn your back- and suddenly it's run off with something it stole off your person! They are excellent at escaping, though they can be traced back to their hoard, and if their collection is raided they will make a lot of noise in protest. Just watch your back- they will try again until you leave their territory. Truly, a horrible thing.
❥ PROMPT II: Welcome to the (Urban) Jungle
Once the creatures are mostly taken care of and the newly revealed area is deemed safe enough to venture into, the city council will put out a call for those willing and able to assist the natives with a clean-up effort. The city outside the walls is badly damaged, left to the ravages of the time and the ever-present storm, which means clearing dust, debris, and flotsam is a high priority before people can begin to repair the new districts and salvage material or live there. Thick brown vines cover large parts of the city, grime from the storm is caked onto windows, rocks and scattered rotted bones and twisted metal can be found in roads and crashed through buildings. The atmosphere in this part of the city seems to mirror the decrepit state of the land, too, feeling heavier and grayer and more depressing than it has any right to be. Going out with people and helping together, taking breaks to lean against one another tends to help clear away any negativity that this land seems to bring to your thoughts, however. Since it's dangerous to go alone, be sure to take a friend.
The biggest concern is the vines, so natives offer to lend machetes to the offworlders to help the hack them away. The vines look brown and dead, the leaves withered and curled up. When characters hack into them, the vines release a puff of yellowish dust. Inhale the dust or get it anywhere near your face and over time, you'll begin to get sleepy - very sleepy. It's hard to keep your eyes open, no matter your resistance to poisons or magic, and eventually you'll find yourself falling asleep wherever you are. And once you're asleep? The vines start moving, crawling toward you at a snail's pace. Hopefully you did bring a friend because you'll need their touch to wake up and stay awake long enough to get away from the vines before they pull you deep within their grasp.
The biggest concern is the vines, so natives offer to lend machetes to the offworlders to help the hack them away. The vines look brown and dead, the leaves withered and curled up. When characters hack into them, the vines release a puff of yellowish dust. Inhale the dust or get it anywhere near your face and over time, you'll begin to get sleepy - very sleepy. It's hard to keep your eyes open, no matter your resistance to poisons or magic, and eventually you'll find yourself falling asleep wherever you are. And once you're asleep? The vines start moving, crawling toward you at a snail's pace. Hopefully you did bring a friend because you'll need their touch to wake up and stay awake long enough to get away from the vines before they pull you deep within their grasp.
❥ PROMPT III: Take a Load Off
Not everyone can fight or clean or even wants to do it, so while those who are more suited to being on the front lines are off doing their thing, those who remain behind must begin the effort of preparing everything that people will need to live in these new areas. At the temples and in the main square, the priests have set up large rest areas with blankets and pillows, and are busily putting together repair kits for mechanics and explorers to use as they go through the ruins. Those who want a place to rest that doesn't require going all the way back to their homes might find these waystations more convenient.
At each, characters can find hot soups with chunks of hearty replicated breads and both hot and cold drinks available for any who wish it. They're trying to replicate pain medications and bandages for people who have been injured while exploring or fighting off the monsters who were unlucky enough to be left inside, and will ask you to try it if you're injured. Taking this medication might have some unintended side effects, however, like a feeling of euphoria or delusions of grandeur or even something as banal as turning your hair a shocking shade of chartreuse - the effect, if you want one, is up to you! The rest areas also have robots "skilled" in giving massages that are looking to test their newly acquired skills and with four pairs of arms, they can work on two people at once! In fact, they're rather insistent about giving you a free massage if they hear even the slightest hint of fatigue in your voice and will usher people into their curtained off booths regardless of whether they know the other occupant or not. These robots are still learning though, so anyone curious enough to try may need to work with their partner to give these robots pointers. They're trying, but not having fragile little flesh bodies is a major obstacle in learning how to have a gentle touch.
At each, characters can find hot soups with chunks of hearty replicated breads and both hot and cold drinks available for any who wish it. They're trying to replicate pain medications and bandages for people who have been injured while exploring or fighting off the monsters who were unlucky enough to be left inside, and will ask you to try it if you're injured. Taking this medication might have some unintended side effects, however, like a feeling of euphoria or delusions of grandeur or even something as banal as turning your hair a shocking shade of chartreuse - the effect, if you want one, is up to you! The rest areas also have robots "skilled" in giving massages that are looking to test their newly acquired skills and with four pairs of arms, they can work on two people at once! In fact, they're rather insistent about giving you a free massage if they hear even the slightest hint of fatigue in your voice and will usher people into their curtained off booths regardless of whether they know the other occupant or not. These robots are still learning though, so anyone curious enough to try may need to work with their partner to give these robots pointers. They're trying, but not having fragile little flesh bodies is a major obstacle in learning how to have a gentle touch.
❥ PROMPT IV: That Which Remains
With the opening of the city, there seem to be a lot of buildings that need cleaning. Some are so dilapidated that they're better off demolished than repossessed, and most are residential and commercial buildings reminiscent of the ones the offworlders are used to seeing everyday in the Havenwell they've all known up until now. However, among the ruins of these older sections, those intrepid enough to venture and explore may find a few unique gems awaiting them. Just remember: the first rule of urban exploration is to never go alone. You never know what might be lurking in those abandoned buildings or what obstacles might be in your way. Doorways blocked by rubble will need more than one person to remove them. Frightened (and frightening) animals might be lingering in the dark. And, most importantly, you don't want to fall through the floor and vanish into a basement. There seem to be quite a few weakened floors out there. In the following parts of the expanded city, characters can find these interesting ruins:
- Northwest: The Arena - In the northwest of the newly opened area, characters can find what looks to be a ruin of a large open air oval building. The building itself is almost 3 stories tall with walls overgrown with brown vines and dead foliage. There are doorways that have no doors, instead being high archways through which people can access in the interior. Stairs lead up into what looks like worn stone benches and down below is a rubble-strewn open area. Part of the walls have collapsed over time but it's very clear this place was used once as some sort of viewing area. It'll take a bit of work to clear this place until it's usable!
There are archways with stairs that lead downward, but you'll need some help clearing away the rubble to get to what's below! If you're successful in getting beneath the arena, you'll find hallways with empty rooms that vary between large enough to possibly be some sort of training room to small enough to be just enough space for someone to put a slim single cot or bed and maybe a wardrobe to have a small private room. Some rooms have rusted metal that may or may not have been weapons at some point, while others have faded wall paintings, chipped and worn with age. It's hard to make out, but with enough reconstruction work, you may just learn who used to haunt these halls. - Southeast: The Baths - In the southeast of the newly opened area, characters will find a domed building unlike the rest of the architecture around it. It's extremely large, for one, and squat, while the rest of Havenwell's buildings seem to be lean and tall. The walls are made of the same stone, but the dome above is broken glass. There are several metal sliding doors set in the walls, but many are fused shut with grime and years of disuse. One main door, larger than the others is sightly ajar, however, and with some help characters may be able to force it open.
Inside, they find an expansive lobby with white floors that must have sparkled before all the grime, dirt, and broken glass took over. The dome overhead reflects the light, making the interior of the building as bright as outside. At the center of the lobby is a dry fountain with two broken statues - four armed humanoids holding urns. Their heads are missing and many of the arms are broken and lying in the dry basin. From the lobby there are alcoves in every direction and two hallways that lead further into the buiding in opposite directions. In each alcove are low stone seats and round basins sunk into the ground that are either dry with a black film around the inside, or full of a dark oily substance that's nearly coagulated.
Go down the hallways and you'll find identical looking chambers. First, you enter an open area with broken sinks and mirrors, with stone cubbies on the walls. Then when you pry open and push past the metal sliding doors, you'll find yourself in a wide open semicircular area filled with baths of different sizes, shapes and depths. Some are free-standing stone tubs, others are large basins sunk into the ground, and still others are rectangular and just big enough for one or two people to lie down in. Each of these basins are like the ones in the lobby, either filled with that same coagulated black ooze or dry with a black film inside. Looks like it's time to get cleaning because each basin also seems like they might be able to be retrofitted to produce water perhaps. - Southwest: The Factory - In the southwest, closest to the wall, the characters can find an imposing square building. It has small thin windows and boasts a plethora of chimneys and smokestacks on the roof, some of which are crumbling or broken with age and exposure. There are two square doors, both of which are large enough to drive a truck through and made of metal which needs to be pried open before accessing the inside. Once inside, the characters find a massive operation geared toward ore and mineral processing and metallurgical refinement. The machinery is old, but extremely well laid out, as it seems this plant was used to process huge volumes of minerals and ores before being lost to time. There are stations for every imaginable part of the refining process separated neatly so they can work efficiently, but all of the machines are broken or currently inoperable and will need significant work before they can start functioning again.
Explore the refinery and you may still find one or two of the ores lying about. They contain an unknown metal that gleams a slick oily silver. At the back of the refinery is an industrial elevator which is currently inoperational. Peering down through the cracks, however, reveals that the shaft goes a long way down. The view of just how far is obstructed by a shimmering rainbow-colored barrier, not unlike the one that is just outside the walls.
This event will run from April 15th to 30th, although due to the areas and effects not technically vanishing, feel free to continue playing with it for some time beyond. Click on each prompt's title to see the text. If you have any questions, feel free to direct them to the FAQ or to the Mod Question thread.
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It's a hard expectation to let go of completely, and for a moment, he's certain that Kai's reached the limit of what he's interested in putting up with from Shinji.
It makes the sudden nudge to his shoulder a surprise, though. Not the gently startling kind it may have been otherwise, but enough to pull a mildly confused look out of that lethargic expression he's got on. "I'm not... trying to guilt you into staying," he offers, the thought opening up in his mind that, maybe, that's what it had sounded like. Again, just awful of you, Shinji. His heart continues to sink, while his hands appear to be doing very little actual work at the moment, despite his claims that he'd take care of it. "You don't have to, if you don't want to."
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Because right there was where Shinji was, and being within that vicinity usually made him feel pretty good. Usually. Right now at this precise moment was getting a little questionable, but it wasn't Shinji's fault if Kai was useless after all.
He started scrubbing.
"You just seemed a little out of it, is all. But I mean, if you were just trying to think of polite ways to ask me to leave, it's easy. Just tell me you want me to go."
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He's not bored, just concerned. That's troubling in a totally different way, but that does feel a little more logical, doesn't it? Kind of like a gentle breeze stirring up those clouds of self-doubt into... ah, a slightly different shape. They're definitely still there, and still heavy, perhaps even more-so with that last sentiment, but in a way that makes more sense.
"I'm sorry," he replies quietly, but with Kai right there, it's probably tough to miss. "I didn't mean to worry you."
Even though it's something he's found he's naturally really, really good at, apparently! How does he manage to keep doing just that over and over, anyway? Gonna go ahead and prop those thoughts of 'why would he even want to stick around?' back up. The least he can do now is try and at least look like he isn't out of it - lets get those hands moving and scrubbing away at this spot of wall again.
"I'm not trying to get rid of you, either," this is said with a tiny bit of confidence, which is more than can be said for that apology, but it's a fleeting hint. "Just... if you wanted to take a break, I won't stop you."
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He wasn't trying to get rid of him though. That's what he said. It lined up perfectly with everything else between them that had happened until now, so why had Kai thought...? Actually, he knew exactly why. It was just what happened, before Shinji.
... Before Shinji, huh. "Mmm."
Kai gave his free hand a once-over, making sure it was clean before he reached over to ruffle the back of Shinji's head. "When you're good for it. We can look for more little lizard guys or somethin'."
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So, he'll wait for it until later? Until Shinji's willing to take that break with him... Maybe he could use that break, but he's still caught up in feeling like he'd be slacking off if he stopped now, but it's not like he's going to be doing anyone any good as long as he's left trying to catch a breath among all these turbulent thoughts. What the heck is wrong with him??
Giving a small, defeated sounding groan, his hand stills yet again as he droops his head forward slowly, until it meets the wall in front of him with a harmless little thump. "You're... really kind." It's unreal, how can someone even be, not just patient, but downright thoughtful with him?
no subject
"I mean... It's not hard."
Kai let his hand rest just there at Shinji's back, as if maybe all the teen needed was a little rub to get some of this bad energy out of there. Wouldn't that be something. Of course, there was also the matter that Kai sort of needed the steadying effect too. Straightforward as he usually was, there were still some things that needed a little encouragement to say. Especially now, when everything felt so close to teetering into murky depths he hadn't been paying attention to.
"You're important to me. Makes things easy."
no subject
He exhales softly, trying to focus on that hand on his back as an anchor point.
"Dunno," he mumbles, finally finding it in himself to reach out and lightly grasp at the back of Kai's shirt. Not quite the same gesture of comfort, but a clear sign that he wants him to stay near. "Even if I'm all I've got, I never really figured it out."
Being kind to yourself... is hard. It's hard to be kind to someone that you know all the most despicable parts of, but Kai's still managing to do just that, even as he learns more and more about Shinji. How could he not think he's somehow taking advantage of that kindness? He closes his eyes, forehead still glued to that one spot on the wall.
"I really am an idiot."
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It is hard to be kind to yourself. Kai knew that well enough. It's the whole reason he couldn't just deny that claim there, because what kind of hypocrite would that make him? "I never bothered to try and figure it out for myself, y'know? There was never a point."
"Then I met somebody that keeps trying to tell me good stuff about me, even if I'm a huge idiot. He's got everything weighing on his shoulders but he still tries to do that for me. Weird, huh? He's real nice, even if he doesn't know it."
no subject
His grip tightens as Kai very casually slides those compliments his way - and truly, how dare you - but rather than try and bat them away, he allows what Kai's said to sink in. He's not sure he can completely agree, but if he takes a second to really absorb it, everything feels a little less turbulent. Or maybe just turbulent in a different way? But less like he's about to get swallowed up in a wave of depression.
"I'm sure... he wants you to know about your good points because you're always doing stuff like keeping an eye out for him, and listening when he's feeling bad." Thank you for inventing this very mysterious third person to project on to, real solid work with this one. He drops his tone again, a little quieter with this last thought, "You probably make him feel like he could be worth something, even when he hates himself."
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"That's cuz he already is," Kai murmured back firmly. That tight hold just made him drift in a little closer, the hand at Shinji's back moving in slow circles. "Even if it still hurts too much to know which way he's going yet."
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"He's probably not used to being treated like that." Yeah, this is definitely easier if he feels some degree of detachment from these confessions, no matter how superficial it clearly is. "Like... he might be more than what he can do for others. Someone like that probably wants to be able to do as much for you as he can."
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"Just wanting to is more than most people have done." And actually going through with those wants? Geez. "He's already done a lot, just being here."
no subject
Carefully, he peels himself away from the wall, gently rubbing off any dirt that may have stuck to his forehead with the back of his hand.
"Getting to see you happy is worth it, I'd guess. And maybe... it's as easy for him to stick around as it is for you to be kind to him." You getting it a little bit now, Shinji? Another little exhale. "He's really lucky to have someone like you around."
no subject
He held on to it tight though.
"S'funny," Kai said, "I would have said the same thing to him."
Kai lifted his hand to Shinji's shoulder, leaning in a little. It was time for a secret, maybe. A low, gentle murmur just for Shinji, because the jig was up now. Maybe it was a little easier to talk about a nebulous someone, but this was for him. "You're one of the best things here, Shinji."
no subject
He had finally managed to get enough of his composure to drift ashore and piece together to stop himself from hiding against that wall, only for it all to be knocked right out of his hands once again. What kind of cruel prank...? No, no, Kai wouldn't do something that awful to him, but there was surely no way he could have seen that coming. He freezes in place, searching his mind desperately as fast as he can, only to find himself at a loss for words. It feels like a huge weight's been laid on his shoulders, like his heart's suddenly about to explode, like he's definitely done some kind of heinous trickery, like his arms have never felt emptier...
Shinji dips his head down slightly, a quick, more flustered action than the despairing wilt from earlier, with a hint of red creeping its way up to his face and ears to match. He should definitely be denying that - there's no way he could possibly be that important, but the stupidest, most selfish side of him is clinging to that murmur for all it's worth. Thus, he has no earthly idea of what to say in response to it.
Fortitude absolutely shattered, and a couple too many seconds having ticked by for his comfort to remain silent, he just... drops the first half-way coherent thought that he can string together.
"Do you think people could be born to meet each other?"
Smooth. Slick. Very cool. Can a person actually die of embarrassment? Let's find out.
no subject
Kai hadn't minded the quiet that had come after. It gave him plenty of time to observe all that color that was slowly blooming across Shinji's skin. What an endearing trait that was. He was just going to quietly marvel over it-- at least up until that bomb dropped.
Wow. Okay. There was a lot to unpack there. Hang on.
As very sweet as the notion could have been... Kai didn't entirely like where that thought led him. Inexplicably being liked, okay. Somehow having people enjoy spending time with him, alright. He was nobody though. There was absolutely nothing there to make him worth meeting by design. A speck of dust in an expanse of vastly more worthwhile individuals. Getting lucky enough to cross paths, maybe. But enduring everything Shinji'd endured just to meet some shitty, nobody punk like him...?
That... probably wasn't what he'd meant at all. Right? Right.
"I guess I can't really rule it out," Kai returned after a moment. "I never put much stock in fates and stuff, but I used to not think gods existed either."
Surprise!
no subject
But then... instead of treating it like a joke, Kai answers it honestly.
Surprise indeed!
He still kind of feels like he might expire, but less intensely so. Kai taking it in stride as well as he had alleviates enough of that pressure that Shinji doesn't feel entirely frozen in place anymore. He regards the reply with a quiet kind of seriousness, despite the blush still sticking very stubbornly to his cheeks.
If Kai were to voice some of those first thoughts, Shinji's sure he'd be able to relate just as well, but even what gets said feels about right. "That... makes sense." Being here has certainly changed his perception on things like gods and whatnot, considering everything they've been put through. Fate itself might still be a rocky idea to navigate, and not a wholly pleasant one, but even then...
"Someone said something like that to me, once," he mumbles softly, leaning in slightly into Kai's touch. "It felt... kind of unbelievable," because, naturally, why a good-for-nothing like him? He continues, "But now, I sort of feel like I can maybe understand it a little better."
no subject
He's not really sure what kind of person is able to just toss that out there. He's not really sure what kind of person would leave that kind of impression, either.
"Y'think so?"
no subject
"Sort of, yeah." He knows he won't be anywhere near as poetic or poignant with his explanation as that super smooth one-liner had been, but with a bit more stability granted to his nerves, he can at least try and make his thoughts clear without slowly collapsing in on himself out of embarrassment. "Like... maybe not as some destiny thing, but more like," he pauses, thinking of the best way to put this, "I guess the idea of being able to meet someone who can make your life feel fuller just by being around them?"
That's the sort of feeling he gets with Kai, and he suspects it might be at least a little close to that original sentiment.
no subject
The thoughtful hum trailed off as Kai turned the concept over. Maybe it wasn't spoken as eloquently as some things could have been, but maybe that was for the better. This take sat better, resonating more readily with how he already felt.
"I guess... yeah. I can get that." That was the sort of ghost he'd been trying to chase after, he figured. That glimpse of something good he shouldn't have been able to have. "Kinda figured that was for everybody else, y'know, but..."
"Then we ended up here."
no subject
Humans meshing well, complimenting each others personalities and flaws without being driven away by how thorny navigating that process really is, and still standing side-by-side... it's very easy to come to the conclusion that it's not realistic.
But then they ended up here.
"We did."
Somehow, the two of them ended up here at the same time. Crossing paths and growing close. That is, if nothing else, really lucky, isn't it? Or perhaps a nice, fortunate set of coincidences. He finally loosens his grasp on the other's shirt to bring his hand up, resting it gently at Kai's back and letting himself lean in a little more heavily as he does.
"This place... is a lot warmer than I would have ever expected it to be, because you're here." It's Shinji's turn for secrets, since you've been such a good sport during this whole mess, Kai. "I'm glad that I can be here with you."
no subject
This was kind of exactly the kind of warmth Kai had meant when he'd talked to Kyoko about it. The world was a little cold, but Kai had never noticed when he'd been lucky enough to stumble over all this. Luck was a force Kai could understand.
It was Kai's turn to grasp at Shinji's shirt, though not as tightly as the other boy had been. It wasn't a lifeline that the blonde needed, just something extra in this quasi-hug they had going on. Kai dipped his head down again, gently resting it there against Shinji's.
"That makes two of us then," he echoed again softly. "I'm real glad."
There was a pause, and the Kai huffed a soft almost-laugh across Shinji's hair. "We're both shit on our own, huh."
no subject
He takes a moment to really think over that last thought, that they were both shit on their own. Despite all his struggles to be okay with a more solitary lifestyle, Shinji never really did manage to nail being on his own for very long. He can't take offence to Kai's assessment - he'd already admitted as much out loud before. However, on the surface, Kai seemed to be a little more reliable on his own. But if Shinji thinks about it, even for a moment, that's probably not necessarily the case, is it?
"Guess so," and thus, he has to agree, echoing that thin almost-laugh. "I like keeping you company, though." As long as he can strike that balance of not feeling like he's soaking up all of the other's time, that much works out in their favor.
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Getting just a little bit of affection had just driven home the absence of it before. This was going to be a problem later, because Kai still shouldn't shake the notions of inevitability, but for now... for now he really wasn't opposed to basking in each shred he could get. If Shinji actually wanted to take up his time, Kai wasn't going to protest.
So he just hummed, pleased by the idea and comforted by that tiny near laugh. This felt better again, all of this. "Lucky me, then." Kai lifted his head, but only so he could reach up and brush back some of Shinji's hair. "S'better when you're around. Don't forget that, ok?"
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Hmmm...
Hm? Oh. That hand in his hair feels kind of nice. An audible 'Hmm' is offered in response to that gentle action, and as all these thoughts, both his own and the ones Kai's set out, stew quietly in his mind, he inclines his head a little into the touch. If it really is better for both of them when they're fending off each other's loneliness, wouldn't it be smart of him to, perhaps, be a little more mindful of it? He's already trying to come over more often, but could these visits possibly be... more?
He lets the idea simmer for a bit, trying to figure out how best to approach it, if he even does want to approach it, but not wanting his thoughts to just tumble out carelessly again. Words are carefully chosen this time, and carefully laid out, "I know... I'm over a lot already," whatever his definition of 'a lot' might be, "Would you like it if I was around more?"
Surely. That's not Too Vague. Will that heavy consideration bridge the contextual gaps in his question? Hmm!
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