no kind of angel

burning bright and falling fast

[etinlucem-blog]

     Kris says it – he tells Gus that he isn’t human, and that’s a lot to take in. Gus sinks down against the counter until he’s sitting, back pressed against the hard wood. He runs a hand down his face and lets out a heavy sigh.

     It takes a few long moments for him to finally say anything in response to that. “Okay. So, what are you doing here? Why did I see you? Are you in trouble?”

[bitingstars-blog]

Kris watches Gus slide down to the floor, the empathic feedback of confusion and distress making his hands feel unsteady; Kris tucks them into his pockets again. It’s uncharitable, so he doesn’t ask out loud, but moments like this make him wonder once again why people ask questions when they don’t really want the answers.

“I’m just exploring the city. I haven’t been to Portland before. It’s nice.” This, too, is honest, though hopefully less upsetting. Offering a small shrug, Kris admits, “I don’t know. Aside from being caught in it once, I don’t know anything about your ability, whether it has a pattern or reason. You don’t seem to be in control of it, at least.”

The last question makes Kris snort, briefly but with genuine amusement. “Me? No, I... I’m fine. Thank you.” It isn’t meant to be condescending, it’s just... been a very long time since anyone worried about him.

[toosparked]

e a r t h l y

[charcoaled-roses]

[soo-hyuk-syndrome]

Smiling Soo appreciation post 1/?

[etinlucem-blog]

     There goes that loose wording implying that this guy isn’t human. Gus believes in the paranormal, supernatural, extraterrestrial, and all that. How could he not when he himself receives visions? But something about Kris – If he really isn’t human – it just puts things into a new perspective.

     “You don’t have any more questions?” Gus gives Kris a look but shrugs. “Alright. Are you human? Or does that fall into the whole ‘I don’t know how to answer that’ area?”

[bitingstars-blog]

“Not at the moment. I’ll let you know.” Though maybe he should have dug for another one, if this was what it came back to. Licking over the outrageous curve of teeth in his mouth, Kris fidgets, trying to think of an answer. 

In all honesty, Kris isn’t sure he’s ever been human, but he remembers what it felt like to think he was. Doesn’t that count? Probably not. “I... no. I’m not. Not anything close.” 

[ridingred]

“eternal optimist, huh?” something that jason most definitely was not and never would be. he swung violently between realism and pessimism, depending on the time of day. “well that’s probably true. seems like the kinda story you could tell at a bar to get someone to buy you a drink.” which was always a bonus, y’know, if pulling the zombie card didn’t work. “so you just hang around bein’ a little ray of sunshine to people gettin’ abused by veggie growers or…?” sue him, he’s curious. story of his life, right?

[bitingstars-blog]

“i suppose. there are worse things to be, i think.” kris can’t blame the other man for the bitter vodka-and-ash twist of cynicism. if it wasn’t for the connection between kris’s heart and the ability to stay in control of himself, he might not have taught himself to be, as this man says, a little ray of sunshine. “mm, nothing so lovely as that. i was just going to get some pho on the next street up.” a pause, head tilted not unlike a bird’s; it never hurts to be nice. “i’ll treat you, if you like? as a consolation for being assaulted by vegetation.”

[etinlucem-blog]

     “Accident.” Gus pauses. He decides to continue explaining. “I don’t have control of the visions. They just – come and go whenever they want. All I can do is try to help the people I see, when I see people who need the help.”

     Gus shrugs. It’s true. He has no idea when he’s going to get a vision. All he knows is he sees a bright flash before it happens. It started shortly after his parents disappeared, but he doesn’t see how the two could be connected. 

[bitingstars-blog]

A pause, Kris tilting his head to consider it before nodding. “That makes sense. Most humans end up with something like that, I think, if there isn’t an outside force involved.” Having powers is a mess, frightening and often confusing when it first happens.

There’s more that Gus isn’t saying, too. It’s not surprising; Kris doesn’t push. “Alright. Did you have something else to ask?”

[etinlucem-blog]

     Welp. That didn’t really answer his question. Gus isn’t going to press further into that one though. It doesn’t seem like he’d get further answers anyway. Gus rubs his forehead and lets out a sigh.

     “Okay,” Gus replies with after a moment. “Okay. I’m sure I have a million other questions, but – but you did say you had questions too, so shoot.”

[bitingstars-blog]

It isn’t that he’s trying to be evasive— what answers can he provide that he doesn’t have? Swallowing, Kris shifts on his feet, the automatic reflex to tug at his other limbs briefly causing a rustling in the quiet room. Whoops. At least they were still hidden.

“Oh. Right.” It takes him a moment to sort out what he’d wanted to ask, but after a moment Kris nods. “Did you look for me on purpose? Or was the vision accidental?”

[etinlucem-blog]

     Kris isn’t a ‘normal person.’ Okay. That’s…something. So is his explanation of being able to experience the vision with Gus. But Kris also said he wasn’t precognitive like Gus. What is he then?

     “If you don’t have visions like I do, what are you? How is it that your…abilities can somehow tune into mine?”

[bitingstars-blog]

Oh. Well. Shit.

An awkward glance at Gus, and then away, red eyes flicking across bookshelves in an attempt to. Well. Come up with any sort of reasonable answer. There isn’t one.

“I’m. That’s... a good question. I... have a lot of practice? Where I came from, the people I worked and fought with had abilities, too. We synced up a lot.” War asked any price, and they would have paid anything to win it. It wasn’t enough. Kris tries not to think about that.

[ridingred]

            “well in my defense, things consistently go to hell, whether i assume it will or not.” he’s good like that–a walking disaster seemed a fairly apt description. though why he continually attracted the strangest people imaginable, he would never know. head tilted to the side, he’s examining the other and yeah, definitely something a little…odd. probably the eyes. jason didn’t really want to ask. “–true, like most stuff you can get away with, but vegetables are pushing it a little bit.”

[bitingstars-blog]

“they might to hell a little less often if you gave them a chance, though.” it’s not an attempt at deep wisdom, despite the years behind it. kris is at this point something of an incurable optimist; some part of him wants to believe it will be alright, all experience to the contrary. he’s being looked at, and looks back. about the same height, far broader, probably able to lift someone kris’s size and toss them like a baseball; that mental image has him laughing when he replies, “to be fair, most people would be too interested in how and why to actually judge too harshly.”

[etinlucem-blog]

     Gus falls silent for a long moment, trying to process what Kris is telling him. This is the first time somebody has ever known about the visions – let alone be an active part of one. Plus, Gus was seeing the future. It’s not as though Kris would be able to sense something that hasn’t truly happened yet. Right?

     “But how? You’re the first person I’ve ever met that’s known about my vision of them prior to us actually meeting. You literally looked directly at me while the vision was happening. How?”

[bitingstars-blog]

It’s oddly endearing, the way Gus is trying to chew through the information; a reminder of what it was like when Kris was thrown headfirst into the strangeness of ability where there had only been humanity before. Though, admittedly, even Kris is slightly out of his element here— time travel has never been his thing.

“I’m... not really a normal person,” offered with an open, crooked smile. An understatement for the century. “Uh? Well, your vision was of the future. It still happened in the present. And when it was happening, you locked onto me, and I saw it, too. I have my own abilities, so I’m not as... unaware as someone else might be.”

[bitingstars-blog]

Kris: can tell you what it sounds like when the universe breathes

Kris: does not understand hot pockets and might stare at one for hours if you let him

[etinlucem-blog]

     Gus follows Kris into the store. He shuts the door behind them, locking it to make sure nobody tries to enter, thinking that they’re open since the two walked in. Gus moves past Kris and heads to the counter with the register and sets his bag down on the floor behind it, before moving back in front of it and leaning against the wood.

     “How’d you know about the vision?” Gus wastes no time with the question. “How the hell did you look back at me when the vision was showing me something that didn’t even happen until just a little while ago?”

[bitingstars-blog]

It isn’t an ambush. It takes longer than it should for that message to get from Kris’s brain to the tension in his arms and legs, but there’s nothing but old familiarity and new anxiety in the air around Gus, and Kris makes himself take a breath. Subtly withdraws the claws that had grown at the tips of his fingers.

Blinking at the sudden flurry of words- Gus must have been holding them back while outside- Kris tips his head and answers them easily and in order. “Because I was involved in it. My energy connected with yours while you were having the vision. I’m not precognitive, but it seems you are; when your ability touched me, I saw what you were seeing. Like sharing data on a computer network.”

[etinlucem-blog]

     Kris. He doesn’t remember his last name either. So you have that, as well as the fact that he knows about Gus’ vision and it only adds more questions. Thankfully, they’re approaching the bookstore and Gus will be able to ask away.

     He doesn’t respond to Kris’ introduction. Instead, he remains silent until they reach the entrance to the store. Gus pulls out his keys from his pocket and unlocks the door. He holds it open for Kris. “After you.”

[bitingstars-blog]

The silence, and the open swing of the waiting door, only seem to build on the sense that something is going to happen. Maybe Kris is wrong, but every nerve that got him alive and (mostly) whole through the war tell him be careful, tell him isolation is a tactic for attack. He can’t feel any life signs inside the building; that doesn’t mean as much as it ought to.

Cranberry red eyes focus on Gus, the silence of him, and Kris doesn’t say anything. Thinks to himself, I hope I don’t have to kill you. He takes a breath, lets it out, and slips past the human into dark space scented with wood and paper, waiting to see.

[etinlucem-blog]

     Gus leads the way, quieter than he probably should be. He just isn’t sure what to say in this circumstance though. Talking about his visions so openly isn’t something Gus does. Then the stranger asks for Gus’ name – or at least what he should call him.

     “I go by Gus,” He says without turning to face the stranger. He doesn’t mean to be rude, but Gus would be lying if he said he wasn’t nervous right now. “What do I call you?”

[bitingstars-blog]

The human (Gus) is very fidgety. It feels like uncooked rice moving over his skin, odd and disturbing but dry. Idly, Kris wonders if he’s walking into an ambush. He’s not sure who would be there, but old instincts are twitching in the back of his head. Well. Whatever it is, he’ll see soon enough.

“Kris. I don’t remember my last name.” The last bit is offered to be helpful, though he belatedly realizes it probably wasn’t. Small talk under pressure isn’t his strong suit. There’s a building coming up that has a feeling to it, though, so it might not matter anyways.

[etinlucem-blog]

     The man puts an emphasis on the word ‘people’ and Gus can’t help but wonder if this dude isn’t in a good mental place. But he knows that Gus saw him… Then he’s asking if Gus wants to sit down or just stand here while they talk. This brings up a slight problem. Gus doesn’t exactly want to be out in public talking about this, but he doesn’t know if this guy is safe enough to take back to the house. Plus he doesn’t wanna risk Madison and the cats’ safety because of curiosity.

     “Uh – sitting somewhere would probably be better. Somewhere a bit more secluded though.” It’s taking everything in him not to ask more questions as he begins walking again, hoping the stranger follows him.

[bitingstars-blog]

There’s a slight quirk to the questionquestionquestion feeling that this man is putting off, and it would make Kris wonder why if it wasn’t so clear that it was something he did. Ah, well. There’s only so much pretending you can get away with, after all, and Kris isn’t always sure what normal means, these days. “Alright.” He’s scarcely agreed when the human just walks off. It takes longer than it probably should for Kris to be sure that, yes, he’s supposed to follow.

Walking with hands tucked into his jean pockets, Kris wanders after him before asking, “What should I call you?” Right now, this man is a jumble of colors, smells, question-thought-memory and an overall sense of ????; it’s easier to hold on to concepts with a name to weight them down.

[deeplovephotography]

Piha Sunset » Piha, NZ