Eh, it probably won't bother me. You know the second most dominant species in Remnant is people with animal parts, right?
[ She doesn't remember how much of that she told him really. She doesn't talk a ton about her world, after all. Mostly because none of it's really the kinds of things she wants him to worry about. Her world isn't a kind place. It's a place no one saved her for a long time, and when they did it was only to use her to make the world worse. She would still do it all again if brought back to make that choice on that fateful day she met Cinder, but she can't say she's proud of it either. ]
I know, I spent the night with him last night. He told me you were here, but I didn't really know how to get ahold of you.
[ Mayuzumi's remaining tension seems to fully drain away. He isn't usually so selfless, but he would've honestly been fine with the three of them spending the rest of the night together just so Akashi could see her again.
If it's like that, though... ]
Hm, I see. We'll have to exchange contacts so we can keep tabs on each other, then.
[ He leans over to speak a little closer to her ear, voice more teasing. ]
But that works out for me since it means I get to keep you all to myself tonight.
[ He grins, pulling back again just as quickly. ]
Besides, if that's how it was in Remnant then I guess I really should stick close to a girl who won't mind that much if I end up as a jellyfish or something like that.
[ She raises her shoulders a little, smiling when he says that in her ear, then laughing. ]
You know, when you say things like back-to-back I have every right to get concerned about you pulling out tentacles on me tonight.
[ She uses her free hand to wiggle her fingers at him. She doesn't necessarily quiet her voice either, but if he's going to tease her she's going to tease him back. ]
[ He might have chuckled at her gesture, but there's pink in his cheeks again to go with it. ]
Ah, well. Nothing weird like that's appeared yet, don't worry.
[ He hadn't even thought of it like that until she said it, really! But of course, now that she's brought it up, he can't help it.
...It'd be weird if the kind of thing that only exists in niche porn actually happened in real life, really weird!
But if she really was fine with it... ]
...You'll be the first to know about it if it does, though.
[ Okay, so he's (mostly) joking, but he also isn't on another level. He still wants his first time to be with her, regardless of the worldhopping they've done or any strange transformations either of them make here. ]
[ Her line of thought is definitely not quite where Mayuzumi's is yet, but she figures that whatever's going on, she'll accept him because he's Mayuzumi. Tentacles or whatever else he could end up with.
...What else could he end up with? This place is way more than Remnant has. ]
I don't think I'd know what to do with tentacles if I got them. What if I can't control them and they just start poking around? What if I end up with antlers and I can't fit under your chin anymore?
[ She has a lot of concerns all of a sudden. She's fairly certain whatever the worst case scenario is, she's going to end up with it. That's how her life tends to go.
..Less when Akashi and Mayuzumi are around, but still not uncommon. ]
[ Picturing himself making a weird transformation is one thing, but admittedly his mind jumps to imagining something way more cute when it comes to Emerald by default. What if her own moonblessing changes end up being really out there too? ]
We'll...figure something out. I mean, as long as you don't end up strangling me by accident and all.
[ Definitely there might need to be an adjusting period, but...if it's her then he'll have to learn to live with it, whatever happens. ]
And if it's antlers we can just switch things around, I suppose.
[ He could always just cuddle up to her instead to avoid getting poked in the eye so it's workable, right? More of a problem for the furniture than him, probably; it makes him wonder what the Prismals with big antlers all the time even do about sleeping and all that... ]
I'll cut them off before that happens even if I can't control them.
[ ..Maybe that's a little intense but she means it. She would rather cut off her own limbs than let them hurt Chihiro if that were to happen. She knows she's got some hair-trigger emotions that she's been dealing with lately, but she doubts she could lose her temper and attack them without thinking. ]
You can lay on my chest. I don't know how comfortable that would be though.
Hey, isn't that's going a little too far? I'm not gonna let you hurt yourself, you know.
[ There has to be a less extreme solution to that problem!? There's no way he'll accept her injuring herself like that for his sake. If anything he still feels dissatisfied with how little he's able to look out for her as it is, even if he's keeping that to himself.
He gives her hand a squeeze. ]
If there's anything that might be a problem, we'll work out how to handle it.
I don't mean the second I get them, but if your life is actually in danger, I'm not going to let you die. That would hurt way more than anything I could do to myself.
[ She squeezes his hand back, then leans over to walk with her shoulder against his arm. ]
I can't lose you. I don't mind getting rid of anything that gets in the way of that, even if it's myself.
[ He falls silent for a moment, thinking. It's a troubling thing that she's saying, but he hasn't forgotten what she's told him about her past, either. In light of that he can see why she'd think in such extreme terms. ]
...It should be pretty obvious that I'm not gonna say I approve of you doing something like that to protect me. What kind of guy would I be if I was fine with the girl I like getting hurt for my sake?
[ He'd feel beyond awful about it, both because she was hurt and because it'd be his fault. She shouldn't have to carry the burden of looking out for him and Akashi so much even if it isn't always to such an intense degree; he hopes at least this place has fewer risks for them to worry about and the worst they'll deal with is sprouting scales or feathers in awkward locations at certain times of the month. ]
But I suppose I can maybe understand why you'd be willing to go that far, even if I still don't like it. I shouldn't have joked about something like that, anyway.
[ He sighs, leaning into the brush of her arm against his. ]
Right now, all you gotta do to keep from losing me is to keep holding my hand.
The kind of guy who hasn't met a tentacle monster face-to-face. It's not the freakiest way to go, but it's slow and painful and not something I'd let myself do.
[ She heard about what happened to Leo, after all, just a few rooms from where she had been before everything had gone... bad. ]
I could only do it because I trust you to get me to a hospital afterward. It wouldn't be the first time I've done something like that.
[ When it came to saving Mercury (and Hazel she guesses), she shorted her own mind out because she trusted him not to leave her behind. Maybe not a limb, but if they'd run off without her she would've probably never seen the light of day again after she lost consciousness.
There are very few people she's willing to rely on like that, even counting her allies. She squeezes his hand when he says that, but looks over at him. ]
Speaking of.. dangerous situations. I need to show you the people I work with. If you see them, you need to pretend not to know who I am and get away as fast as possible. I didn't want to show you or get you involved, but now more than ever.. it's been made clear to me what happens if I want to leave. Which I think it's obvious I'm planning to.
[ Mayuzumi goes a bit pale at the description; it shouldn't be a surprise to him by now that a monster like that could be real somewhere, but it's still pretty unsettling to think about.
Just as unsettling as the idea they've just been talking about; that Emerald's gone that far before really bothers him. She's right that he'd absolutely make sure she got treatment if something like that ever did happen, but he hopes the situation never gets so dire.
It really hits home with him all over again how difficult a life she's had compared to him, and how little he can really do to keep her safe. He can't even argue with her about the course of action she advises; if dangerous people like that showed up he really wouldn't be able to do a thing about it other than to try and escape and warn her. Being careless, or worse, trying to think he can be some kind of hero and doing something stupid on purpose would just make the situation more difficult for her.
Yet even if he's too grounded not to recognize that she's absolutely right, he hates that reality. His expression inevitably shows he's not exactly happy about being basically useless against this threat. ]
...All right. If it comes to that, I can at least keep my mouth shut and stay out of their way. I'm not going to be an idiot and make things tougher for you than they already are.
[ He sighs softly. ]
Maybe there isn't much I can do to protect you, but if Akashi's right and there really is a way to get you back to Japan with us...I'll do everything I can to make sure that happens.
[ Maybe he isn't the greatest when it comes to pure magic compared to Akashi, but technology's his stronger point and Lunatia seems pretty advanced. If there's tech here that could potentially do the job, he'll do his best to find it and figure it out.
...Which seems like an absurd prospect for a first-year university student rather than someone with some advanced scientific degrees under his belt, but it's better than doing nothing and it won't hurt to try. ]
[ She nods in agreement, squeezing his hand a little bit. She knows that he feels useless. She hates it. She knows that feeling of helplessness all too well. It's because she feels helpless in this situation that she knows exactly how it feels. ]
Keep Seijuro and Tetsuya out of the way too. You know how they get. I promise I'll talk to you guys and we can figure it out together, but just don't let them know at first. Reacting is not the way to deal with these people. Trust me, they're.. miles ahead, at all times.
[ Emerald doesn't want to die any more than she wants them to. ]
I hope we can someday. I don't really.. know how to do any of that stuff, but I can at least handle keeping us all alive.
[ Magic, research, all that.. not really her forte. She gives him a smile, as if trying to cheer him up. ]
[ He does know precisely what she means, though; Akashi and Kuroko are just more likely than him to get caught up in wanting to protect her or just being stubborn about doing the right thing regardless of the risks. He can't really disagree with her approach when she's the one who knows way more about these enemies than anyone else.
His expression softens when she smiles; of course this is tougher for her than him, he knows that. He's sure they're both feeling exactly the same about the lack of what they can do about the situation they're in. That understanding means a lot, and it's something he can lean on when things get difficult; regardless of all the other things he can't do, he hopes he can be someone like that for her, too. ]
...It's fine, though. I can't say I didn't know what I was getting into with you.
[ His thumb strokes her hand. ]
Even if it means my life gets really complicated sometimes...I don't regret it.
[ She smiles at him when he says that and she does a full body lean against his arm for a brief moment. They're walking so she can't really stick it, but she wants him to know that she wants to hold onto him right now. Hopefully it won't be too long until they get to his apartment. They're in the residential district, so she assumes soon, but it isn't like she knows what his place looks like to be able to tell.
For all she knows he lives on the other side of the city and is just milking the hand-hold-walk instead of calling a taxi.
...She kind of doubts that, he's way too practical for pulling any BS like that. It's part of why she likes him. So they must be close, which means she can properly sling her legs over his and hold onto him on a couch, or maybe snuggle up to his side if he wants to lay down... either way, saying something like that has her in the mood to be close to him. She's not sure he realizes how much it means to her that he knows what he's getting into and still wants to be with her, especially since he understands that it's dangerous. ]
The apartments come furnished, right? I'll show them to you on the couch. There are only two of them who outright look scary.
[ ..As in she's legitimately scared of both of them. But you know. Whatever. Watt's mustache makes him look like a tool, it's hard to be scared of him. ]
[ At last he turns away from the sidewalk and towards one of the buildings nestled in a tree-dotted garden. It's relatively modest compared to some of the soaring futuristic architecture they've seen on the way, but maybe that's part of the reason why he was drawn to it.
The inside of the apartment's on the smaller side compared to some of the more extravagant places to stay they both might have toured when they first got here; minimalist but comfortably so, with a cozy, deep-seated couch and plenty of big windows. Exactly the kind of surroundings perfect for curling up with a book on a lazy afternoon.
Or with a girlfriend...which is what's on his mind now. The plush cat-eared toy gets left on the entry table so both his hands are free to lead her into the living room and draw her down onto the couch with him. As much as he'd like to just forget everything else and enjoy being close to her again there's still a cloud hanging over them they need to deal with. ]
Do you want to show me now, or take a breather for a little while first?
[ Emerald looks around as they enter the apartment. It looks really comfortable, like something she'd really enjoy herself. She's seen Akashi's and it looked like one of the rich people apartments from the magazines. Her own has brick walls but warmer colors, much smaller like this but with hints of a rustic look to it. She really liked the exposed brick and how warm everything looked, okay?? Plus it had a balcony for plants. But she likes Mayuzumi's too. She can see herself hanging out around here, if he lets her.
She pulls away slightly so she can look at him head-on instead of by his side, looking a little sheepish for a moment because it's still odd to admit to a weakness, but she needs to tell him. ]
Let's get it out of the way. [ She pauses. She doesn't.. quite know if Akashi really shared this with him or not. She doesn't know what all they share about her, but Akashi's dealt with her nightmares since before they were even friends. Her nightmares were what woke her up and had him complain about her slamming cabinets in the dead of night in the first place. (Even if he was really nice about it and helped her back then.) It hasn't really come up with Mayuzumi yet. ]
I get nightmares a lot. It won't be as bad now that there's no emotion magic to worry about, but the sooner we get this out of the way the less likely I am to be thinking about anything before bed.
[ She'd gotten a lot better at them in Empatheias, with time and distance and care really helping, but with going home for a few months, everything's fresh. It's better to warn him now. At least he doesn't have to worry about waking up in the middle of an emotional power panic attack. ]
[ Mayuzumi's expression grows more thoughtful after Emerald's confession; even though they've been together for a few months now it feels like there's a lot he still doesn't know about her. Things that Akashi's probably more aware of since the guy's known her longer, too.
And if he's honest with himself, he has to admit he has mixed feelings about that. Is it jealousy? Maybe, but maybe not exactly. It's the idea she's been suffering with something like that while he didn't know about it that bothers him more than anything. He couldn't do anything for her, even if what he can do on the whole isn't very much, even if he's sure if Akashi knew the guy would've bent over backwards for her. It's something he really doesn't like at all.
But at the same time Mayuzumi can't be angry at her for it; something else they have in common is that they aren't necessarily willing to open up about everything so easily. And, well, things are different between him and Akashi now too. He may not be a fan of being kept in the dark but she's telling him now at least, and sharing something more serious besides just nightmares that the others won't learn about just yet.
Beyond that...in this moment he'd probably forgive just about anything because she's here and together with him. He really understands now how Akashi felt when Miu disappeared months ago, and he never wants to experience that kind of feeling ever again. ]
And...whether it's with me or Akashi, you never have to sleep by yourself if you don't want to. You can stay here whenever you want.
If you're by yourself when it happens again, I'll come when you call me no matter what time of night it is.
[ No matter what, she won't have to wake up scared and have to handle it all alone; that much at least he can do for her along with Akashi. ]
Careful with that offer, I'm never going to actually use my apartment. I was already thinking yours looks super cozy.
[ She's joking despite what they're talking about. Well, maybe it's not a joke. She really does like the apartment and she really would prefer to stay with one of them. She really likes that he's offering too, and maybe he can tell from the way that she squeezes his hand with hers. Shes's at least somewhat aware that that sounds super clingy though, so she says it in a lighthearted tone.
She gives him a smile though, and more earnestly: ]
Thank you.
[ Okay. She looks over to a clear area in the room. ]
You've already met Mercury, right? He's fine, and I trust him, so you don't have to worry about him. Hazel.. is probably okay too, but just in case I would hold off. I don't know him very well, but he doesn't seem to want to fight unless it's necessary or it involves a man named Ozpin. He stood up for Merc and I and tried to take responsibility when we-- when Cinder failed, so I don't think he's all bad.
[ That little correction is something major. Maybe she hadn't talked to Mayuzumi much about Cinder, but he can probably tell in her voice that there's something wrong there. That she had to force herself to say it was Cinder, and while she knows it's right, it's also something that she was forced to admit. It's still hard to say now. But she doesn't ruminate on that, instead moving on and using her sembalnce to make this man appear in that blank space. It's notable that he's probably taller than Murasakibara, by at least a couple of inches. ]
His semblance allows him to not feel pain, so while I don't think he'd hurt you, if anything does happen, just run. Attacks to distract him and get yourself a head start aren't going to help.
...Well. Just remember that if you stick around too long I'll have to start charging you rent.
[ Sometimes Mayuzumi really wonders how an independent guy like him ended up with not one, but two people in his life who think he's someone they can rely on. It can be trouble, sure; maybe it isn't entirely a good thing that he likes being clung to so much that he doesn't discourage it when maybe he should, either. But being not just noticed but actually needed makes him feel good; it means he's an important part of someone's world rather than living on the mental margins of existence. Maybe before he'd resigned himself to living as a glossed-over, walking footnote with his head mired in the 2D world rather than 3D, loving himself because he didn't have anyone else to do it for him; but after waking up in an alien landscape and spending days cut off from everyone who's become important to him he realized he can't go back to that kind of life anymore.
That's the cynical, selfish reason he explains away to himself for why he wants to do everything he can possibly do to make sure the people he loves always have reasons to smile and never have to face their problems alone ever again, anyway...
His expression grows more serious when they move on to the matter at hand. ]
Yeah, I met him.
[ He might catch that undertone to how she speaks about Cinder, but he doesn't comment on it. He figures it's hard enough for Emerald to turn her back on someone who was so important to her as it is without him pressuring her about it; while he can support her through that process, it's something she ultimately has to come to terms with herself. Instead, he just gives her hand another reassuring stroke with his thumb and studies the image of Hazel that she generates for him mentally. ]
But I get it. So this big guy might not necessarily be a problem, but still someone to steer clear from just in case.
[ Emerald leans over at that comment and presses a kiss to his cheek. ]
There's my deposit.
[ She knows that's probably silly, but she can't help it. He's sitting here with her, preparing for the worst on the first day they're back, and Emerald can't help but think about why she wants him to know so badly.
It's because being back there for months, arriving here and being separated from them for days after that... she can't help but want to make sure she's never separated from him again. ]
Watts is a creep, but I've never actually seen him fight so I don't know how dangerous he really is. He's intelligent though.
[ She displays this guy for a moment, then takes a deep breath. She's notably steeling herself slightly because Tyrian flat-out unnerves her.
Watts disappears and a man with a prosthetic Scorpion tail appears. Unlike the previous ones, this image of Tyrian jumps on the coffee table and puts his face mere inches from theirs, a wild grin as if he's seen something unhingingly funny. He's definitely got no respect for Emerald's personal space, so she figures it's better to.. alert Mayuzumi ahead of time. ]
Then there's Tyrian who... will kill you for fun. Unless he finds out that you know me, then he'll kidnap you, torture you, kill you in front of me, then kill me because I betrayed Salem. And despite that I've threatened to land him with more prosthetics than just his tail..
[ Sorry Mayuzumi, Emerald's.. got a real penchant for theatrics, even when she's not trying to terrify someone, but Tyrian starts laughing as he swings around and steps off of the table, then disappears just before his feet would've hit the ground. ]
I don't think I can win on my own. So he can't know that you know me. I'd prefer if he didn't even know I was here at all.
[ Even if it's an illusion, Mayuzumi instinctively shrinks back into his seat when 'Tyrian' leaps up onto the table and looms over them. The laugh isn't any better, its mania twisting up his stomach and pulling a bit of the color out of his face.
...But even so, he isn't going to balk and abandon her now when emotionally he's in way too deep. A few short days was all it too for him to start to fall apart without her; he doesn't even know where he'd be now if he and Akashi hadn't been able to lean on each other to cope. He can't let her go again now that she's here, no matter what.
He swallows, still a bit rattled, but he needs to push through that for her sake if nothing else. ]
...How did you even manage to deal with lunatics like this guy?
[ It's hard to even come up with the right word for it. It's not necessarily that the ranking "hierarchy" of sorts that's going on really helps them. Honestly, she's not really sure why Tyrian's got a seat at the table to begin with except that he's a fanatical worshipper.. but everyone else she understands more. Watts is a jackass, but he's intelligent and has connections and a way about him that makes it easy for him to snake his way into higher society places. Hazel is calm, steady, and won't start fights-- he only fights if someone brings the fight to him and he has no other choice. He's merciful, and will always give the other an opportunity to avoid being hurt while not letting anything stand in his way. Tyrian is an excellent assassin and so scared of disappointing Salem, but that's... not a unique trait, she doesn't think. She kind of thinks he's more like a pet than anything else. (And Cinder of course is amazing, but her thoughts on her are far too extensive to go into right now, and far too complicated right now for her to really know what's true and what isn't.) ]
We're Cinder's disciples, so while she was around, she would deal with him while we... didn't have to. Now that she's gone, I'm not really sure how. He skulks around and eavesdrops on our conversations... he overheard Merc and I fighting about what we were doing there and why... and told us we shouldn't be there if we didn't really enjoy it.
[ She sinks into the seat, her eyes still on Mayuzumi. ]
But that if we tried to leave, he'd get to kill us. He wanted us to. He's still not the one I'm most scared of. Let me know when you're ready.
[ ..Because recovering from Tyrian is a thing. But Salem is another. ]
[ Pretty terrifying, honestly. Having a guy like this be aware of Emerald having second thoughts just makes the situation for them all that much more potentially dangerous, and makes it even more vital that Mayuzumi doesn't do something stupid if Tyrian ever does show up in Lunatia out of some misguided sense of stubborn manly pride.
It also makes him worry even more over Akashi and Kuroko finding out about this, exactly because Akashi's already almost thrown his life away once on something idiotic like that. He hopes the guy really did learn his lesson from all that, but...
But they should deal with one problem at a time. He shakes his head to shake off his discomfort and steel himself for the rest. ]
Nevermind, I get it. I'll stay the hell out of the way of these guys.
[ He gives Emerald's hand another gentle squeeze. ]
She's going to look really weird, and you might not be able to place what it is. I still.. haven't figured it out, completely. I don't know what she is, but she's... she can control Grimm. She can create them. She's unkillable, and she has magic. Tyrian calls her a "goddess," and I think she genuinely believes it. She... she's had me use my abilities to train Cinder to torture a fifteen year old girl. She's the person who ordered everything we've done. She's unhinged, and terrifying, and impossible to fight...
[ She says it first, perhaps for herself more than for Mayuzumi. She's never been able to say what she thinks of Salem outloud. The closest time was the illusion she used at Haven on nine people at once, just the most terrifying thing she could think of last minute in the middle of an emotional breakdown-slash-panic attack as a last-minute attempt to save herself and Mercury and Hazel because she was the only one who could. ]
She makes sure to remind all of us that she's the only path any of them have to what they want, but I don't... she has nothing for me. She won't let me go to Cinder. She made me blame her for everything. She's the reason Cinder lost parts of herself.
[ The more she talks, the angry she seems to get, and at the same time fearful. It's a very, very mixed emotion. But once she stops talking, she takes a deep breath and focuses on creating the illusion. A woman with white hair, black veins, red eyes with black sclera, black nails, and a commanding presence. Perhaps the illusion is a little taller than reality, a little more terrifying. Rather than wild and unhinged like Tyrian, she approaches slowly. Her movements are careful, graceful, but creepily fluid. Then her eyes grow wider, angrier, and then suddenly the entire room looks like it's billowing with air and every window in Mayuzumi's apartment shatters as she screams--
--and then it stops. And everything's back to normal. Emerald stopped. Salem terrifies her, and what Mayuzumi sees is reminiscent of a recent memory for her. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tdm overflow- mayuzumi
Eh, it probably won't bother me. You know the second most dominant species in Remnant is people with animal parts, right?
[ She doesn't remember how much of that she told him really. She doesn't talk a ton about her world, after all. Mostly because none of it's really the kinds of things she wants him to worry about. Her world isn't a kind place. It's a place no one saved her for a long time, and when they did it was only to use her to make the world worse. She would still do it all again if brought back to make that choice on that fateful day she met Cinder, but she can't say she's proud of it either. ]
I know, I spent the night with him last night. He told me you were here, but I didn't really know how to get ahold of you.
no subject
If it's like that, though... ]
Hm, I see. We'll have to exchange contacts so we can keep tabs on each other, then.
[ He leans over to speak a little closer to her ear, voice more teasing. ]
But that works out for me since it means I get to keep you all to myself tonight.
[ He grins, pulling back again just as quickly. ]
Besides, if that's how it was in Remnant then I guess I really should stick close to a girl who won't mind that much if I end up as a jellyfish or something like that.
no subject
You know, when you say things like back-to-back I have every right to get concerned about you pulling out tentacles on me tonight.
[ She uses her free hand to wiggle her fingers at him. She doesn't necessarily quiet her voice either, but if he's going to tease her she's going to tease him back. ]
no subject
Ah, well. Nothing weird like that's appeared yet, don't worry.
[ He hadn't even thought of it like that until she said it, really! But of course, now that she's brought it up, he can't help it.
...It'd be weird if the kind of thing that only exists in niche porn actually happened in real life, really weird!
But if she really was fine with it... ]
...You'll be the first to know about it if it does, though.
[ Okay, so he's (mostly) joking, but he also isn't on another level. He still wants his first time to be with her, regardless of the worldhopping they've done or any strange transformations either of them make here. ]
no subject
...What else could he end up with? This place is way more than Remnant has. ]
I don't think I'd know what to do with tentacles if I got them. What if I can't control them and they just start poking around? What if I end up with antlers and I can't fit under your chin anymore?
[ She has a lot of concerns all of a sudden. She's fairly certain whatever the worst case scenario is, she's going to end up with it. That's how her life tends to go.
..Less when Akashi and Mayuzumi are around, but still not uncommon. ]
no subject
We'll...figure something out. I mean, as long as you don't end up strangling me by accident and all.
[ Definitely there might need to be an adjusting period, but...if it's her then he'll have to learn to live with it, whatever happens. ]
And if it's antlers we can just switch things around, I suppose.
[ He could always just cuddle up to her instead to avoid getting poked in the eye so it's workable, right? More of a problem for the furniture than him, probably; it makes him wonder what the Prismals with big antlers all the time even do about sleeping and all that... ]
no subject
[ ..Maybe that's a little intense but she means it. She would rather cut off her own limbs than let them hurt Chihiro if that were to happen. She knows she's got some hair-trigger emotions that she's been dealing with lately, but she doubts she could lose her temper and attack them without thinking. ]
You can lay on my chest. I don't know how comfortable that would be though.
[ ..She can't lay on her own boobs okay. ]
no subject
[ There has to be a less extreme solution to that problem!? There's no way he'll accept her injuring herself like that for his sake. If anything he still feels dissatisfied with how little he's able to look out for her as it is, even if he's keeping that to himself.
He gives her hand a squeeze. ]
If there's anything that might be a problem, we'll work out how to handle it.
no subject
[ She squeezes his hand back, then leans over to walk with her shoulder against his arm. ]
I can't lose you. I don't mind getting rid of anything that gets in the way of that, even if it's myself.
no subject
...It should be pretty obvious that I'm not gonna say I approve of you doing something like that to protect me. What kind of guy would I be if I was fine with the girl I like getting hurt for my sake?
[ He'd feel beyond awful about it, both because she was hurt and because it'd be his fault. She shouldn't have to carry the burden of looking out for him and Akashi so much even if it isn't always to such an intense degree; he hopes at least this place has fewer risks for them to worry about and the worst they'll deal with is sprouting scales or feathers in awkward locations at certain times of the month. ]
But I suppose I can maybe understand why you'd be willing to go that far, even if I still don't like it. I shouldn't have joked about something like that, anyway.
[ He sighs, leaning into the brush of her arm against his. ]
Right now, all you gotta do to keep from losing me is to keep holding my hand.
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[ She heard about what happened to Leo, after all, just a few rooms from where she had been before everything had gone... bad. ]
I could only do it because I trust you to get me to a hospital afterward. It wouldn't be the first time I've done something like that.
[ When it came to saving Mercury (and Hazel she guesses), she shorted her own mind out because she trusted him not to leave her behind. Maybe not a limb, but if they'd run off without her she would've probably never seen the light of day again after she lost consciousness.
There are very few people she's willing to rely on like that, even counting her allies. She squeezes his hand when he says that, but looks over at him. ]
Speaking of.. dangerous situations. I need to show you the people I work with. If you see them, you need to pretend not to know who I am and get away as fast as possible. I didn't want to show you or get you involved, but now more than ever.. it's been made clear to me what happens if I want to leave. Which I think it's obvious I'm planning to.
[ With Mayuzumi and Akashi. ]
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Just as unsettling as the idea they've just been talking about; that Emerald's gone that far before really bothers him. She's right that he'd absolutely make sure she got treatment if something like that ever did happen, but he hopes the situation never gets so dire.
It really hits home with him all over again how difficult a life she's had compared to him, and how little he can really do to keep her safe. He can't even argue with her about the course of action she advises; if dangerous people like that showed up he really wouldn't be able to do a thing about it other than to try and escape and warn her. Being careless, or worse, trying to think he can be some kind of hero and doing something stupid on purpose would just make the situation more difficult for her.
Yet even if he's too grounded not to recognize that she's absolutely right, he hates that reality. His expression inevitably shows he's not exactly happy about being basically useless against this threat. ]
...All right. If it comes to that, I can at least keep my mouth shut and stay out of their way. I'm not going to be an idiot and make things tougher for you than they already are.
[ He sighs softly. ]
Maybe there isn't much I can do to protect you, but if Akashi's right and there really is a way to get you back to Japan with us...I'll do everything I can to make sure that happens.
[ Maybe he isn't the greatest when it comes to pure magic compared to Akashi, but technology's his stronger point and Lunatia seems pretty advanced. If there's tech here that could potentially do the job, he'll do his best to find it and figure it out.
...Which seems like an absurd prospect for a first-year university student rather than someone with some advanced scientific degrees under his belt, but it's better than doing nothing and it won't hurt to try. ]
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Keep Seijuro and Tetsuya out of the way too. You know how they get. I promise I'll talk to you guys and we can figure it out together, but just don't let them know at first. Reacting is not the way to deal with these people. Trust me, they're.. miles ahead, at all times.
[ Emerald doesn't want to die any more than she wants them to. ]
I hope we can someday. I don't really.. know how to do any of that stuff, but I can at least handle keeping us all alive.
[ Magic, research, all that.. not really her forte. She gives him a smile, as if trying to cheer him up. ]
Thanks.
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[ He does know precisely what she means, though; Akashi and Kuroko are just more likely than him to get caught up in wanting to protect her or just being stubborn about doing the right thing regardless of the risks. He can't really disagree with her approach when she's the one who knows way more about these enemies than anyone else.
His expression softens when she smiles; of course this is tougher for her than him, he knows that. He's sure they're both feeling exactly the same about the lack of what they can do about the situation they're in. That understanding means a lot, and it's something he can lean on when things get difficult; regardless of all the other things he can't do, he hopes he can be someone like that for her, too. ]
...It's fine, though. I can't say I didn't know what I was getting into with you.
[ His thumb strokes her hand. ]
Even if it means my life gets really complicated sometimes...I don't regret it.
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For all she knows he lives on the other side of the city and is just milking the hand-hold-walk instead of calling a taxi.
...She kind of doubts that, he's way too practical for pulling any BS like that. It's part of why she likes him. So they must be close, which means she can properly sling her legs over his and hold onto him on a couch, or maybe snuggle up to his side if he wants to lay down... either way, saying something like that has her in the mood to be close to him. She's not sure he realizes how much it means to her that he knows what he's getting into and still wants to be with her, especially since he understands that it's dangerous. ]
The apartments come furnished, right? I'll show them to you on the couch. There are only two of them who outright look scary.
[ ..As in she's legitimately scared of both of them. But you know. Whatever. Watt's mustache makes him look like a tool, it's hard to be scared of him. ]
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...And it's this one here.
[ At last he turns away from the sidewalk and towards one of the buildings nestled in a tree-dotted garden. It's relatively modest compared to some of the soaring futuristic architecture they've seen on the way, but maybe that's part of the reason why he was drawn to it.
The inside of the apartment's on the smaller side compared to some of the more extravagant places to stay they both might have toured when they first got here; minimalist but comfortably so, with a cozy, deep-seated couch and plenty of big windows. Exactly the kind of surroundings perfect for curling up with a book on a lazy afternoon.
Or with a girlfriend...which is what's on his mind now. The plush cat-eared toy gets left on the entry table so both his hands are free to lead her into the living room and draw her down onto the couch with him. As much as he'd like to just forget everything else and enjoy being close to her again there's still a cloud hanging over them they need to deal with. ]
Do you want to show me now, or take a breather for a little while first?
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She pulls away slightly so she can look at him head-on instead of by his side, looking a little sheepish for a moment because it's still odd to admit to a weakness, but she needs to tell him. ]
Let's get it out of the way. [ She pauses. She doesn't.. quite know if Akashi really shared this with him or not. She doesn't know what all they share about her, but Akashi's dealt with her nightmares since before they were even friends. Her nightmares were what woke her up and had him complain about her slamming cabinets in the dead of night in the first place. (Even if he was really nice about it and helped her back then.) It hasn't really come up with Mayuzumi yet. ]
I get nightmares a lot. It won't be as bad now that there's no emotion magic to worry about, but the sooner we get this out of the way the less likely I am to be thinking about anything before bed.
[ She'd gotten a lot better at them in Empatheias, with time and distance and care really helping, but with going home for a few months, everything's fresh. It's better to warn him now. At least he doesn't have to worry about waking up in the middle of an emotional power panic attack. ]
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[ Mayuzumi's expression grows more thoughtful after Emerald's confession; even though they've been together for a few months now it feels like there's a lot he still doesn't know about her. Things that Akashi's probably more aware of since the guy's known her longer, too.
And if he's honest with himself, he has to admit he has mixed feelings about that. Is it jealousy? Maybe, but maybe not exactly. It's the idea she's been suffering with something like that while he didn't know about it that bothers him more than anything. He couldn't do anything for her, even if what he can do on the whole isn't very much, even if he's sure if Akashi knew the guy would've bent over backwards for her. It's something he really doesn't like at all.
But at the same time Mayuzumi can't be angry at her for it; something else they have in common is that they aren't necessarily willing to open up about everything so easily. And, well, things are different between him and Akashi now too. He may not be a fan of being kept in the dark but she's telling him now at least, and sharing something more serious besides just nightmares that the others won't learn about just yet.
Beyond that...in this moment he'd probably forgive just about anything because she's here and together with him. He really understands now how Akashi felt when Miu disappeared months ago, and he never wants to experience that kind of feeling ever again. ]
And...whether it's with me or Akashi, you never have to sleep by yourself if you don't want to. You can stay here whenever you want.
If you're by yourself when it happens again, I'll come when you call me no matter what time of night it is.
[ No matter what, she won't have to wake up scared and have to handle it all alone; that much at least he can do for her along with Akashi. ]
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[ She's joking despite what they're talking about. Well, maybe it's not a joke. She really does like the apartment and she really would prefer to stay with one of them. She really likes that he's offering too, and maybe he can tell from the way that she squeezes his hand with hers. Shes's at least somewhat aware that that sounds super clingy though, so she says it in a lighthearted tone.
She gives him a smile though, and more earnestly: ]
Thank you.
[ Okay. She looks over to a clear area in the room. ]
You've already met Mercury, right? He's fine, and I trust him, so you don't have to worry about him. Hazel.. is probably okay too, but just in case I would hold off. I don't know him very well, but he doesn't seem to want to fight unless it's necessary or it involves a man named Ozpin. He stood up for Merc and I and tried to take responsibility when we-- when Cinder failed, so I don't think he's all bad.
[ That little correction is something major. Maybe she hadn't talked to Mayuzumi much about Cinder, but he can probably tell in her voice that there's something wrong there. That she had to force herself to say it was Cinder, and while she knows it's right, it's also something that she was forced to admit. It's still hard to say now. But she doesn't ruminate on that, instead moving on and using her sembalnce to make this man appear in that blank space. It's notable that he's probably taller than Murasakibara, by at least a couple of inches. ]
His semblance allows him to not feel pain, so while I don't think he'd hurt you, if anything does happen, just run. Attacks to distract him and get yourself a head start aren't going to help.
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[ Sometimes Mayuzumi really wonders how an independent guy like him ended up with not one, but two people in his life who think he's someone they can rely on. It can be trouble, sure; maybe it isn't entirely a good thing that he likes being clung to so much that he doesn't discourage it when maybe he should, either. But being not just noticed but actually needed makes him feel good; it means he's an important part of someone's world rather than living on the mental margins of existence. Maybe before he'd resigned himself to living as a glossed-over, walking footnote with his head mired in the 2D world rather than 3D, loving himself because he didn't have anyone else to do it for him; but after waking up in an alien landscape and spending days cut off from everyone who's become important to him he realized he can't go back to that kind of life anymore.
That's the cynical, selfish reason he explains away to himself for why he wants to do everything he can possibly do to make sure the people he loves always have reasons to smile and never have to face their problems alone ever again, anyway...
His expression grows more serious when they move on to the matter at hand. ]
Yeah, I met him.
[ He might catch that undertone to how she speaks about Cinder, but he doesn't comment on it. He figures it's hard enough for Emerald to turn her back on someone who was so important to her as it is without him pressuring her about it; while he can support her through that process, it's something she ultimately has to come to terms with herself. Instead, he just gives her hand another reassuring stroke with his thumb and studies the image of Hazel that she generates for him mentally. ]
But I get it. So this big guy might not necessarily be a problem, but still someone to steer clear from just in case.
Who else should I keep an eye out for?
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There's my deposit.
[ She knows that's probably silly, but she can't help it. He's sitting here with her, preparing for the worst on the first day they're back, and Emerald can't help but think about why she wants him to know so badly.
It's because being back there for months, arriving here and being separated from them for days after that... she can't help but want to make sure she's never separated from him again. ]
Watts is a creep, but I've never actually seen him fight so I don't know how dangerous he really is. He's intelligent though.
[ She displays this guy for a moment, then takes a deep breath. She's notably steeling herself slightly because Tyrian flat-out unnerves her.
Watts disappears and a man with a prosthetic Scorpion tail appears. Unlike the previous ones, this image of Tyrian jumps on the coffee table and puts his face mere inches from theirs, a wild grin as if he's seen something unhingingly funny. He's definitely got no respect for Emerald's personal space, so she figures it's better to.. alert Mayuzumi ahead of time. ]
Then there's Tyrian who... will kill you for fun. Unless he finds out that you know me, then he'll kidnap you, torture you, kill you in front of me, then kill me because I betrayed Salem. And despite that I've threatened to land him with more prosthetics than just his tail..
[ Sorry Mayuzumi, Emerald's.. got a real penchant for theatrics, even when she's not trying to terrify someone, but Tyrian starts laughing as he swings around and steps off of the table, then disappears just before his feet would've hit the ground. ]
I don't think I can win on my own. So he can't know that you know me. I'd prefer if he didn't even know I was here at all.
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He understood in the abstract that she's done terrible things and associated with awful people, but in some ways it's felt like something that ultimately had nothing to do with him and didn't really touch their lives together in Empatheias to any significant degree. It's sinking in that this isn't the case and probably never has been, and it's only been his own naïveté and ignorance making it feel that way. He's probably been way too glib about assuring her he's fine dealing with all of this when he hadn't fully grasped the risks. As much as he might play at imagining it, he's no heroic protagonist type; he's just a regular guy whose biggest life challenges not that long ago were basketball and university entrance exams. He can't defend her or even himself from someone dangerous; even Akashi getting injured months ago didn't prepare him entirely for something like this. All three of them and anyone else that matters to her really could end up dying.
...But even so, he isn't going to balk and abandon her now when emotionally he's in way too deep. A few short days was all it too for him to start to fall apart without her; he doesn't even know where he'd be now if he and Akashi hadn't been able to lean on each other to cope. He can't let her go again now that she's here, no matter what.
He swallows, still a bit rattled, but he needs to push through that for her sake if nothing else. ]
...How did you even manage to deal with lunatics like this guy?
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[ It's hard to even come up with the right word for it. It's not necessarily that the ranking "hierarchy" of sorts that's going on really helps them. Honestly, she's not really sure why Tyrian's got a seat at the table to begin with except that he's a fanatical worshipper.. but everyone else she understands more. Watts is a jackass, but he's intelligent and has connections and a way about him that makes it easy for him to snake his way into higher society places. Hazel is calm, steady, and won't start fights-- he only fights if someone brings the fight to him and he has no other choice. He's merciful, and will always give the other an opportunity to avoid being hurt while not letting anything stand in his way. Tyrian is an excellent assassin and so scared of disappointing Salem, but that's... not a unique trait, she doesn't think. She kind of thinks he's more like a pet than anything else. (And Cinder of course is amazing, but her thoughts on her are far too extensive to go into right now, and far too complicated right now for her to really know what's true and what isn't.) ]
We're Cinder's disciples, so while she was around, she would deal with him while we... didn't have to. Now that she's gone, I'm not really sure how. He skulks around and eavesdrops on our conversations... he overheard Merc and I fighting about what we were doing there and why... and told us we shouldn't be there if we didn't really enjoy it.
[ She sinks into the seat, her eyes still on Mayuzumi. ]
But that if we tried to leave, he'd get to kill us. He wanted us to. He's still not the one I'm most scared of. Let me know when you're ready.
[ ..Because recovering from Tyrian is a thing. But Salem is another. ]
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[ Pretty terrifying, honestly. Having a guy like this be aware of Emerald having second thoughts just makes the situation for them all that much more potentially dangerous, and makes it even more vital that Mayuzumi doesn't do something stupid if Tyrian ever does show up in Lunatia out of some misguided sense of stubborn manly pride.
It also makes him worry even more over Akashi and Kuroko finding out about this, exactly because Akashi's already almost thrown his life away once on something idiotic like that. He hopes the guy really did learn his lesson from all that, but...
But they should deal with one problem at a time. He shakes his head to shake off his discomfort and steel himself for the rest. ]
Nevermind, I get it. I'll stay the hell out of the way of these guys.
[ He gives Emerald's hand another gentle squeeze. ]
I'm fine. Let's get it over with.
[ For her sake too, not just his. ]
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[ She says it first, perhaps for herself more than for Mayuzumi. She's never been able to say what she thinks of Salem outloud. The closest time was the illusion she used at Haven on nine people at once, just the most terrifying thing she could think of last minute in the middle of an emotional breakdown-slash-panic attack as a last-minute attempt to save herself and Mercury and Hazel because she was the only one who could. ]
She makes sure to remind all of us that she's the only path any of them have to what they want, but I don't... she has nothing for me. She won't let me go to Cinder. She made me blame her for everything. She's the reason Cinder lost parts of herself.
[ The more she talks, the angry she seems to get, and at the same time fearful. It's a very, very mixed emotion. But once she stops talking, she takes a deep breath and focuses on creating the illusion. A woman with white hair, black veins, red eyes with black sclera, black nails, and a commanding presence. Perhaps the illusion is a little taller than reality, a little more terrifying. Rather than wild and unhinged like Tyrian, she approaches slowly. Her movements are careful, graceful, but creepily fluid. Then her eyes grow wider, angrier, and then suddenly the entire room looks like it's billowing with air and every window in Mayuzumi's apartment shatters as she screams--
--and then it stops. And everything's back to normal. Emerald stopped. Salem terrifies her, and what Mayuzumi sees is reminiscent of a recent memory for her. ]
Sorry.
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