capeandcowllogs | (no subject)

Entry tags:

† !—dropped characters—! †

(no subject)

WHO: Yoite & Open
WHERE: A park somewhere.
WHEN: Sunday, January 30th, early afternoon-ish.
WARNINGS: None, unless you count excessive amounts of emo.
SUMMARY: Yoite is trying to live a normal life, really...
FORMAT: Para!

For Yoite, returning to the City had been something of an emotional roller coaster, with more downs than up. He tried really, yet found himself in old haunts when left to himself, sitting for hours on the roof of Awesome Base, wandering parks and bad neighborhoods, drifting around the walls of churches. He had been able to accept his death as it was, but being back... No, he couldn't accept life, like this. The sort of suffering he'd put his friends through... The sort of suffering they were surely to be put through again thanks to his powers making him deteriorate, a slow death, but a promise of a short life either way. Especially since he refused to seek out any healers.

Death, had been easy. Even if he would've preferred erasure, something that would've left no trace of him at all, death had been better than continuing making memories, continuing being confused. He was supposed to only need Miharu and Yukimi, but without them here, his support was Lyra, the people at Awesome Base, the network, until he was so confused about what he was supposed to be doing that he barely remembered his starting point any more.

Sitting on a bench in a small, quiet park, he curled into a ball, hands at the side of his head, gripping into dark hair, holding tightly.

He didn't know what he felt. Maybe he didn't feel anything at all.

Maybe it was just his thoughts and not any feelings at all, how was he supposed to tell? All these useless feelings and thoughts, he was supposed to have thrown them away a long time ago, but the City had destroyed the peace he'd felt as he was fading away next to Miharu, had destroyed the comfort in believing that no one would remember him. Even if no one in his home world did any more, people here did, records of his existence on the network... No. No, he decided that this time, simply dying would not be sufficient.

Surely, among all the people who had been pulled here, there were people able to erase any trace of him on the network, and people who could erase or rewrite people's memories, so that there would be no trace of him left. There just had to be a way.

It was just a matter of finding it and then finding the weakness of those people.

A matter of knowing how to force them to do as he wished them to.

"Surely... Somehow..." He said, more to himself than to anyone else, staying in his curled up position, watching some birds search for food not too far off. He just had to be patient, keep his eyes open for anyone with powers that seemed like they could be useful.

And try to act as normal as possible during that time.

He had fooled Yukimi, long ago. Then surely, he could trick people here too. It was for their own good anyone, for him to disappear, to not remember. To make sure that 'Yoite' had never existed here either.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Lyra had been planning to go to the park to have fun. However, all such thoughts were chased out of her mind when she saw Yoite, curled up on a park bench, and that painful, tender, warm feeling in her chest rose up again, and she sat down beside him.

Watching that memory had made conversations with Yoite so difficult- it was hard to talk to him without screaming at him that his family was wrong, he wasn't a monster, and he deserved to be happy just like everyone else.

But she knew that wouldn't get anywhere, and would involve explaining just how much she'd spied into his past, and Lyra knew that would hurt him.

So she sighed as Pantalaimon nestled onto her lap, letting her thoughts wander a bit before she cleared her throat.

"Yoite- I brought some breadcrumbs, if you want to feed the birds?"

The footsteps were recognized, so Yoite didn't get too jumpy when Lyra joined him. In fact, he straightened back out, sitting up properly rather than curled into a ball, and looked over at her. He could tell there was something on her mind-- In fact, something seemed to have been on her mind for quite some time now. But he didn't ask, because he doubted he'd get a straight answer from her even if he did.

He didn't say anything as she sat there, thinking to herself it seemed, and he tried to keep his expression as neutral as he possibly could, rather than troubled like it had been just a few minutes ago, though it was difficult, considering just the type of thoughts he'd had.

"Ah-- Yeah..." He said, with a nod.

Having something to do should help clear his mind, at least for a little bit.

Lyra fished the bag of breadcrumbs out from her coat, and set it between them, flashing Yoite a genuine smile as she scattered some crumbs out the ground, making an odd chirping noise that utterly failed at sounding anything like a bird, but did attract succeed in getting the birds attention. Or maybe the food did that.

Yoite arched an eyebrow at the sound, but then turned his attention to the birds, picking up some of the breadcrumbs in his hand, but instead of scattering them on the ground, leaned forward, holding his hand down to the level of the birds, waiting for them to come over to him.

These birds were used to being fed by humans, and not all that scared, skittish, but hungry enough to take food when it was being given to them, so surely enough, of the ones not pecking on the ground for the crumbs Lyra had scattered, one brave bird approached, and began eating from his hand, followed by a second one, once it'd seen that it was safe.

Yoite just kept still, watching them, not wanting to scare them off.

What a gentle person Yoite was, to be able to feed birds like that, Lyra thought, as she and Pantalaimon held still, admiring him.

It was lucky, Lyra thought distantly, that most animals reacted to her daemon the way they did to a human, as opposed to how they would to a predator, before turning her attention back to Yoite.

Yoite allowed the birds to eat, a third one approaching now, the first one hopping up onto his hand now. He didn't think much of that he was able to do this though, considering how many people fed birds here, and they weren't really afraid of humans any more, as long as one didn't make any abrupt movements or really tried to scare them off.

Once there were no more breadcrumbs in his hand though, the birds hopped off elsewhere, and Yoite straightened back up, sighing softly, before looking over at Lyra, and then tilting his head to the side.

"You... That's really amazing!" Lyra said, looking up at Yoite with the same admiration as her daemon as she scattered some more breadcrumbs.

"I don't think I'd ever be able to do something like that," she told him, smiling easily. For all that she could worry about Yoite... somehow, it was easy to be happy when he was around.

"The birds here aren't too afraid of humans... So it's not, really..." Yoite replied quietly. Anyone could do it, with enough patience. Even Lyra, it shouldn't be too much of a problem, as long as she kept as still as she had when he had been feeding them.

"Here..." He said, picking up some crumbs and then taking a gentle hold of her hand, putting the crumbs into her hand and then, holding onto her hand still, put his other lightly on her back, guiding her to lean forward and extend her hand, and then sat still, waiting for birds to approach.

And surely enough, it didn't take too long before one approached.

"Yoite-" Lyra leaned forward, holding as still as she could, biting her lip to keep herself from trembling as the bird approached. Pantalaimon had gone still as well, his eyes wide and watching.

The bird hopped forward, until it perched on her fingers, and Lyra eyed it with awe.

Yoite held still as the bird began eating, followed by a second one. Normally this would be being too close to someone, but for now it was ok, since he had something else to focus on, watching the birds closely as they ate, hopping off once they were done, and Yoite straightened back up, letting go of her hand, scooting to the side to make some distance between them again, as he still did prefer keeping some distance.

Especially now after he'd died- He liked keeping his distance even more now. It just felt... Strange. Being around others, with the people he could consider friends, when he was supposed to be dead.

Lyra didn't take her eyes off the birds either, although Pantalaimon shot a few glances at Yoite. Moments like this were things to be treasured.

Once the birds hopped off, Lyra turned to Yoite, and leaned back a little bit on the bench. As much as she wanted to hug her friend at times like now, she knew it would probably upset him.

Instead, she smiled brightly, "Thank you, Yoite!"

Yoite blinked, looking a little confused. He didn't think he'd done anything that he needed to be thanked for- He was just proving a point really, that anyone could make the birds here feed from their hand, since the birds no longer had too much of a fear of humans. So many people fed them daily, so it wasn't strange that they didn't mind people so much any more as long as one didn't make any quick movements to scare them off.

"Ah- It was nothing..." He said, looking away then, curling up on the bench again, shuddering a little. Even if his clothing was thick, cold had a tendency to seep in anyway, no matter what he did.

"Are you cold? I saw a stand that was selling hot drinks not too far from here, if you want something to warm you up," Lyra told him. She wouldn't object to one herself, either.

"I'm not." Yoite replied, head rested against his knees as he looked over at her. He was a little bit, but didn't want to worry her- He wasn't too cold anyway, compared to what he was used to. Not being sick had its advantages, being able to keep warm for the most part being one of them, even if he still was thin enough to get cold where others would feel warm. He didn't think something warm to drink would help anyway.

"If you are, you should return to the house." He added then, not wanting her to sit out and freeze alongside him. No reason for them both to be cold after all, and Lyra, unlike him, didn't have the same need to be left alone most of the time.

Ari didn't spend too much time in the park, but every now and then the uneven noise of the City got to him and he just needed to be somewhere where it was less. To think he would have preferred the never ending rhythmic grind of Madril's gears...

He paused in his walk, seeing a person balled up on a bench. Somebody hurt? Someone who couldn't stand the noise of this place any more than he could? Couldn't help to see what was wrong. Or at least try to. He'd been having a harder and harder time getting people in this place to actually notice him. It was starting to get worse than it was back home, much to his annoyance.

".... You okay?"

Yoite hadn't expected to be joined. People who didn't know him went straight past him normally, those who did sometimes would join him for a while when they saw him like this, but most would quickly get the hint that he desired to be left alone, like he kind of wanted to now. He knew that no one was ever truly alone in this place, not really- there were people nearby no matter where you turned, and trying to get by on one's own, without the involvement of others was impossible.

But he liked to be able to pretend, if only for a while.

When he was spoken to however, he snapped out of his train of thought and looked up, watching the other for a moment, before nodding his head. "Yeah.."

Ari had been ignored for enough of his life to start ignoring the signals most people read as "just ignore me." Mostly because for some reason, people seemed to think that was what was written all over him. Which it wasn't.

He returned the observing gaze for an awkward moment of silence. "... You don't look it."

Yoite wondered what part of him looked like it wasn't ok. He wasn't hurt anywhere, or sick, and didn't feel like he looked particularly upset. He was just thinking and had nothing to be upset about.

He stared at the boy for another moment, before curling up again, resting his forehead on his knees, legs pulled up against his chest, arms wrapped around them to keep them there.

"I am, though."

It was that whole huddled up on a park bench in the middle of winter thing.

But if this guy said he was fine, whatever. Ari gave a shrug. "Whatever you say."

He fidgeted with his sword a little. Having found someone who would actually talk to him and acknowledge his existence, he was feeling a little reluctant to just be so easily dismissed. But he was no good at this conversation thing. So he just stood there a moment.

Yoite didn't move, still curled up into a ball, hoping to be left alone. He wished things would be more like back home, where people had just passed him by regardless of how troubled he seemed, rushing by in their own little worlds, caring only for those they knew for the most part. He had lived, then he'd died, and now he was dead, almost as much as he had been before ever meeting Miharu and Yukimi-- And there was no use in bothering with the people who weren't meant to be living in the first place.

At least that was how he felt.

Even as he pretended to be alive for the sake of the friends he did have, for the sake of not falling into despair. Branching out like he had been... Not knowing where he was going... Even as the other boy stood there, Yoite curled in on himself more, enough to be trembling a little, certainly enough to look as if he wanted to disappear then and there.

Oh yeah. That was totally a believable way to look when you wanted people to think you were fine.

"That's now how you get people to think you're fine, you know. People even notice me when I act like that," he pointed out, shifting a little in his stance.

"People don't, with me." Yoite pointed out. Even Yukimi had a tendency to ignore him when he was like this, because this was pretty much Yoite's version of 'go away and leave me alone'. Sometimes he would leave a cup of hot lemonade next to him when he was like this, but he'd never talk to him. That was the sort of behavior Yoite preferred. And though he didn't point it out, he also would say that Yoite was Yoite, and this was how he behaved and the other boy surely had his different ways of reacting to things.

Ari blinked once. "You get ignored too, huh?" he guessed. No wonder he acted like he acted. When you knew no one would bother, what did it matter?

He liked to think he wasn't that far gone yet.

... the yet in that bothered him.

For how cold and white it was out, there were an awful lot of people hanging around. The cold was different - three suns made for few winters on Thra - but Aughra found that she was adjusting.

Still, you wouldn't think there would be so many people around. Especially when she knew that most of them lived inside the strange, straight mountains.

She looked down at the latest visitor under her tree and blinked.

"You again? What now?"

At the voice from above, Yoite glanced up, briefly, before looking back down. Even here he couldn't be left alone, even if he wanted to be, needed to be. It was just proof, he supposed, that no matter where he went in this City, there would be people.

"Nothing." He replied, not wanting to ignore her at least, as ignoring others usually had the opposite effect, making people stay around even longer, and be even more annoying. "Just thinking."

Hopefully he wouldn't need to say too much to a stranger, to make them leave him be.

She snorted. "Think where warmer. Too cold out here for you. Too cold for anyone. Why everyone come out here now?" There was almost a whine to her complaint. What were they all doing bothering her?

"A lot of people are off from work today." Yoite said, as if it was the most obvious thing ever. Sunday was a popular day to be out with one's families, and people knew how to dress warmly, so the cold wasn't much of a problem. He too was dressed up in thick clothing- but really, he was always like that, regardless of the season.

"And warmer places are usually more crowded." He added, before standing up. Part of why he'd come out here was to be left alone, so if he had to, he would relocate to somewhere else. Probably just another bench within the park, but still. He would be somewhere else.

Aughra nods in response. "Crowded. Everywhere crowded. That's why Aughra here."

"Most places are in this City." Yoite pointed out. Except maybe graveyards, they tended to be fairly empty for the most part. But then, suggesting to go stay in a graveyard usually wasn't too good of an idea. It's what he would do if he absolutely needed to be alone though.

"I'd suggest finding a rooftop somewhere. Usually not crowded." He pointed out, before starting to walk away; if someone else desired to be alone, then he wouldn't stop them. He knew what that was like, after all.

He passes by the first time without stopping on his way to buying that hot dog he doesn't really want. The figure stands out a little among the clusters of families and couples and children. Someone else is here by themselves.

Here alone.

He eyes the posture and the body language, then decides to take the plunge and engage. It can't hurt, and his curiosity is peaked. He saunters closer and stops a short distance away.

"...Hey."

Being spoken to snapped Yoite out of his train of though, surprising him a little. He had heard people walking by, but not the sound of footsteps approaching. But then, he'd kind of figured he'd finally been left alone- He'd kind of been disturbed from thinking too much several times already, but he supposed he should've expected that, considering the time and the place. He'd just hoped that people would keep walking past him, like they normally would- People tend to avoid any situation that seems like it could be troublesome if they could, so...

Still, he looked up then, and tilted his head at the one talking to him, just watching him for a moment. "... Good afternoon." He finally said, after a moment, because he's not in a particularly bad mood, even if he had been thinking too much about things. Even if he is kind of confused right now, and helpless, and unsure what to do. He's not angry or irritated or anything. So he could greet people properly at least.

Once he had though, he simply watched the other, waiting to see if he had something to say.

It's not quite an invitation, but a better opening than he'd hoped. He keeps the distance where it is and tries a smile he hopes is friendly. "You looked a little lost," he offers.

The fact that the other is keeping his distance, is comforting to Yoite and he relaxes just a little, though he keeps his eyes on him, just watching him for now, for any sort of hint that he might try to join him on the bench. He would have to scoot over then, and right now, he's quite comfortable just where he's sitting.

"I'm not." He said, wondering why he would think that. After all, he's much too old to be lost, really. As far as he's concerned, only children get lost, and he is no child. Never really has been.

So, he just waits then, to see if he has something else to say to him.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

(no subject)

Let's just assume this was before Mytho sucked her funnybone out.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

and here's where I wish I'd taken him from like.. 2 min later in his canon :)

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject