World's End

"I will continue to love humans. The just, the wicked, I will love them all equally." "Even so, I..." Affiliated with CA Housing: V-4 Retains: > a Dungeon World deck > the ability to create barriers 3x a day for 30 seconds each time

[coldbloodedjudgement-blog1]

What’s a Pup before a God

[coldbloodedjudgement-blog1]

acedefeat:

For just half a moment, Rouga’s anger dissipated and gave way to confusion. His ‘friend’? When on earth had that happened? Had that been established at any point? Or had he just sort of tumbled into it without realizing, as had been the case with Tasuku? Certainly, Miserea wasn’t terrible to have around, and nine times out of ten Rouga would willingly offer his support to him were he asked for it, but–

“I won’t lose anyone else. Especially not to a place like this.”

Rouga barked a laugh–one entirely devoid of any humor. 

“You’re setting yourself up for disappointment.”

Just like him.

It was a remark uttered more to himself than to Miserea, though he made no real effort to keep it from Miserea’s ears. There was no need to; Rouga turned away, very evidently finished with his tirade as well as the conversation as a whole. He was still angry, still bitter and disgruntled and uncertain how he felt about Miserea’s declaration of friendship, and every ounce of that negative energy still rolled off him in waves…but in the end, there was little point in dragging things out here. He doubted anything he said would sway Miserea in his resolution short of experiencing the futility of his efforts firsthand, over and over again; funnily enough, he was a bit like Rouga in that respect. 

God. Now that the adrenaline was beginning to ebb…he was tired. 

“It’s better to live in the moment than fear the disappointment of the future, isn’t it? I’ve learned that all too well.”

And for an ageless, timeless god, Miserea had experienced it again and again. He would always outlive his human companions. He would always be alone in the end. And that’s why he treasured his friends, and humanity. That’s why he treasured every moment, every second. That’s why he would protect all of them with his life.

Because for Miserea, it would all be over in a blink of an eye.

He sensed that Rouga was still angry, though it had abated somewhat. Waiting for Rouga to put some distance between them, Miserea began tailing him again, not too close, but not too far away either. He was sensitive enough, at least, to maintain a healthy distance.

Hopefully, Rouga would forgive him with time. And Miserea had all the time in the world.

But he wasn’t worried. What was a little spat between friends?

[coldbloodedjudgement-blog1]

What’s a Pup before a God

[coldbloodedjudgement-blog1]

acedefeat:

Distracted? Well, that was one way of putting it. It was true enough that Rouga hadn’t felt one-hundred-percent present as of late (even he could acknowledge that), and Miserea was probably right in his assertion that a full-on brawl wouldn’t see the older boy leave without his fair share of bruises. Distantly, he knew that. 

“That wasn’t YOUR call to make!”

At the forefront of his mind, however, was not rationality. He was angry and exhausted and generally unsteady in more ways than one, and even that calm disposition of Miserea’s that Rouga most often appreciated was starting to grate. Why was he the only one losing his composure here? Why was he the only one out of control? Why did he feel as powerless in his situation as he did? Why wasn’t his strength enough–not only in this instance, but in so many others…?!

Why? Why did everything feel so futile all the time, no matter how hard he trained? No matter how he pushed his body to its limits?

Why?!

Furious, Rouga lashed out with an arm, barely containing the impulse to just clock his companion then and there. Would Miserea’s expression remain passive and cool even then, he wondered…?

“DON’T do that again! Try it, and I promise you that you’ll have much more to worry about than a few kicks or punches!”

Rouga wasn’t just angry--he was livid. Perhaps it had been an unnecessarily shameful display, but there seemed to be something else driving Rouga’s rage. 

He remained emotionless even as the fist neared his face, knowing that Rouga wouldn’t strike him...yet.

“If you mean my carrying you by the scruff of your neck when you say ‘that,’ then I won’t do it again.” He could at least acknowledge how uncomfortable it must’ve been for Rouga. “However, if you meant my interference in the skirmish, then I can’t make any promises.”

“As your friend and comrade, your safety is my top priority. If you despise me for that, then so be it. My feelings won’t change.”

“I won’t lose anyone else. Especially not to a place like this.”

[coldbloodedjudgement-blog1]

What’s a Pup before a God

[coldbloodedjudgement-blog1]

acedefeat:

To Rouga’s (genuine) surprise, Miserea did not comply with his request and retreat back into his card–but neither did he make any move to fight their pesky assailants. Oh no. Rather, what Miserea elected to do was something Aragami Rouga had not been subjected to since he was a child struggling to get by in the slums:

He picked the teenager up by the back of his collar and carried him along like some misbehaved puppy.

“Wh…–”

For a few tense seconds that simultaneously felt far too long and all too short, Rouga was silent, apparently too flabbergasted by his current predicament to manage a complete sentence. Half a moment later it finally hit him–and that was when he started to flail and struggle. Violently.

“What do you think you’re–?! Kiri! Let go, now! Do you hear me?! Put. Me. Down! Hey–don’t you dare ignore me!

“KIRI!”

By the time Miserea finally (mercifully) came to a halt, Rouga simply hung uselessly in his grip, arms folded tightly over his chest and an utterly poisonous look on his face.  He’d finally exhausted himself about a block back, but that hardly meant he’d resigned himself to his humiliating display; in fact, his indignation and disgruntlement only simmered further the more he realized just how easy this was for Miserea. It was like he weighed nothing at all, like his every swing and kick was a mere toddler’s rather than a seasoned warrior’s, and that almost made him madder than getting carried off in the first place.

And as Miserea set him down, it showed.

A lot.

“What the HELL was that about?! Where do you get off, huh?!”

Ah, yes. Rouga was angry at him, and understandably so. Miserea had all but plucked him from a ripening brawl, and to someone like Rouga, it must have been disgruntling. (Little did he know that that was not the only reason.)

As Rouga’s heated glare settled on Miserea, Miserea stood unfazed, much as he had been while carrying Rouga off kicking and screaming.

“Forgive me. But you’ve been rather distracted lately, Aragami-senpai. I thought it’d be for the best if we didn’t engage in any unnecessary confrontations... Not to mention, it’s getting late.”

“I don’t doubt that you would’ve been able to handle those people on your own,  but it likely wouldn’t have been without cost to yourself. I didn’t want to see you getting hurt. That’s all.”

He doubted that would abate Rouga’s anger--in fact, it might’ve only served to ignite it further. Miserea would accept it. It was worth it, so long as Rouga was unscathed in the end.

[coldbloodedjudgement-blog1]

What’s a Pup before a God

[coldbloodedjudgement-blog1]

acedefeat:

In general, people tended to be wary of Rouga’s immediate presence, and it was easy to understand why. Combined with his relatively impressive height, a chilling stare was often all that was necessary for most to identify him as ‘dangerous’–and that was before any snarling or glaring, which in turn were a great deal more feral and vicious than a human teenager’s facial expressions had any right to be.

Every once in a while, though, Rouga would find himself crossing paths with those either too foolish to pick up on threatening body language or simply too brazen and arrogant to pay it any mind–

–and today was shaping up to be one such occasion.

“… Right. Kiri. Get back in your card for a minute.”

Outnumbered seven to one and boxed in on top of that… How annoying. He’d been aware of the risks when he opted to take the shortcut through the Sector oo3 back alleys, but he’d been hoping against hope that he wouldn’t run into any roadblocks.

It was just as well, though. He’d been feeling incredibly stressed as of late, and time hadn’t allowed for him to visit his usual dojo. This whole fiasco might actually be a decent chance to blow off some steam. 

Rouga cracked his knuckles, sharp blue eyes not leaving the gang’s ringleader’s (probably) even once.

“Come.”

Oh dear. While Miserea had utmost faith that Rouga would be able to handle these third-rate thugs on his own, he had recognized that cloudy look in Rouga’s eyes that suggested that he wasn’t quite in the right mind right now. 

If Rouga wasn’t in the right mind, then...he was more prone to recklessness. Or making mistakes. And the last thing Rouga needed, probably, was extra scrapes on bruises for his troubles.

So for once, Miserea stepped in.

And by “stepping in,” that meant literally lifting Rouga off of his feet by the scruff of his collar. Very much like Rouga was nothing more than a misbehaving kitten, and completely effortlessly in spite of the sheer difference in size.

Ignoring Rouga’s protests, Miserea leveled a cold stare on the thugs blocking their way.

“Excuse me.”

“Ha?! You think we’re gonna let ya through after that disrespect?!”

“I see...”

He raised his free hand, and at his beckon, a watery barrier formed around him and suddenly expanded, knocking the brutes flailing asunder. In the midst of this chaos, Miserea simply continued walking without a glance back, holding Rouga all the while.

Only several blocks away did Miserea finally deign to put Rouga down.

“Aragami-senpai. Are you alright?”

[coldbloodedjudgement-blog1]

What’s a Pup before a God

Miserea had practically moved in with Rouga by now, and Rouga’s mood permitting, it was very rare that Miserea would not be traveling in one of his pockets. The Demon Lord was a quiet presence and he didn’t attempt to get between Rouga and Cerberus, hence the toleration.

He couldn’t help but be happy, though.

But on the way to their current destination, Rouga had suddenly stopped and confronted some people. Usually, the teen’s steely stare was enough to scare many people off, but that wasn’t the case today, and Rouga appeared to be getting heated. Miserea flew out of Rouga’s pocket and materialized beside him.

“Aragami-senpai... What’s wrong? If you keep dilly-dallying like this, it’ll get dark.”

[coldbloodedjudgement-blog1]

Miserea stands in the middle of this rain of chaos, completely unfazed as water splashes about. He’s right in his element--quite literally.

“Asmodai... What are you trying to accomplish here? Trying to get a Water Lord with water isn’t going to work.”

Why are you like this, is what he really wanted to ask as he observed the other party-goers flailing as they attempted to avoid getting drenched.

[coldbloodedjudgement-blog1]

The King’s Voice

Perhaps the other contenders’ enthusiasm for the contest was increasing Miserea’s own drive to perform. When it came to be Miserea’s turn, the Omni Lord was quite fired up--as fired up as a deity of water and ice could be.

“As expected of Tasuku-san, Noboru-kun, Gao-kun, and Jack...” Never mind that little, er, interruption in between.

“But I won’t lose either.”

“’Furikaeranai de’ Ano toki kimi ga oshiete kureta Ima tabidatou GENERATION! Go! NEXTAGE!

Mada oborogena Yume no kakera nigirishimete Kanousei ni kakete ikou Ima wa kimi ga tonari ni iru Dakara mou mayowazu ni Jikuu wo koete...

Boku datte So! Stand up! Hibana hotobashiru Fight! Jibun no SOUL wo shinjite susumunda ‘Furikaeranai de’ Ano toki kimi ga oshiete kureta Ima tabidatou GENERATION! Go! NEXTAGE!”

[coldbloodedjudgement-blog1]

“Hehe... Gao-kun is always so bright no matter what he does.”

[coldbloodedjudgement-blog1]

Here we have Miserea at a far edge of the room, continuing to eat as if Doctor Gara hadn’t just been thrown into the middle of the dance floor. 

But it was no big deal. It was nothing Jack couldn’t handle. Miserea took another sip of his punch, seemingly oblivious to the chaos that had just ensued behind him.

[acedefeat]

Only Human

[coldbloodedjudgement-blog1]

acedefeat:

Even the strongest among us have moments when we’re vulnerable. That was true enough–he wasn’t naive enough to insist that it wasn’t–but knowing as much did very little in the way of making Rouga feel any better at that particular moment. It didn’t dispel the shame, didn’t rid him of his disgust and impatience with himself because he should have been over all of what had happened by now and he was so, so frustrated because he didn’t know how to fix it–

“If you can forgive others for having those moments…

“…then surely you can forgive yourself.”

Rouga paused.

Why…couldn’t he forgive himself for this? It seemed like such an obvious question, but it was gradually beginning to dawn on him that he hadn’t actually asked himself why for a very long time. Was it because he simply held himself to a higher standard? Because of the unspoken demand that he exceed the expectations of the Gaens and other branch families? The anxiety of what would happen to him and those around him if he didn’t…? There were probably dozens of reasons. 

His head hurt. This wasn’t something he could think about all at once–never mind in this sleep-deprived state–and his feelings on the matter sure as hell weren’t going to be sorted out with just a few hours of intensive brainstorming. 

That was why, when Miserea suggested he return to sleep, he didn’t bother trying to argue. He didn’t know how much rest he’d really end up getting…but lying awake for the rest of the night would do nothing but guarantee a crappy morning the next day. 

“… About your neck.” Rouga eased back down onto his side, facing away from the Omni Lord as he reached out and pulled the covers up a bit further.

“… Sorry.”

His words seemed to strike a chord within Rouga. Whether his former senior acted on his advice or not, it was up to him. Miserea pushed him no further.

“Oh...?”

But he wasn’t expecting the apology. And it had been a heartfelt one at that. Rather than making any comment on it, lest he made Rouga withdraw into himself once more, Miserea only smiled down at the figure now curling under the blankets.

“You know I don’t blame you.”

“But I forgive you.”

If Rouga could apologize like that, if Rouga could bare his soul to Miserea, then perhaps...perhaps they were on the road to becoming more than just allies and comrades.  Perhaps they were on the road to becoming good friends.

Miserea certainly hoped he could have something like that with Rouga one day.

“Good night, Aragami-senpai.”

And so that the teen needn’t fret over Miserea’s tangible presence in his room, Miserea retreated back into his card and fell still on Rouga’s night table.

[acedefeat]

Only Human

[coldbloodedjudgement-blog1]

acedefeat:

Miserea’s hand brushed against his forearm and Rouga flinched, wary blue eyes trained intently on the Omni Lord before the teenager seemed to realize that that would be the extent of any unexpected touches…–at which point some of the tension seemed to drain from his shoulders. He was much too jumpy…much too agitated and on edge–

–so it came as no surprise when he was called almost immediately on his weak attempt at a lie.

“……”

He was too exhausted to feel patronized by Miserea’s words, or even to feel horror at just how uncannily the other male’s described fears mirrored Rouga’s own as of late. In fact, it was almost a relief to think that Miserea might somehow already know what haunted him; no matter how long he mulled it over, after all, Rouga couldn’t think of a way to explain the nightmares without sounding twice as pathetic as he felt. For that reason (and a handful of others) he’d refrained from reaching out to what few confidants he had, but if Miserea already had a hunch, then…–

… No. What good would it do? Unpleasantness aside, forcing himself to speak about these ridiculous dreams was ultimately unlikely to change anything.

There was no point.

“… Since the first time I ran into you here, I feel like most of our conversations have turned into you playing at counselor. It’d probably be funny if it weren’t so pitiful.”

“There’s nothing funny or pitiful about this, Aragami-senpai. Even the strongest among us have moments when we’re vulnerable.”

This was definitely a much different Rouga than what Miserea was used to seeing, but he truly didn’t see his former senior in a different light. The show of weakness did nothing to diminish Rouga’s strength--in fact, it only added more layers to him, only solidified the fact that he was only human, and a child at that.

“If you can forgive others for having those moments...” Miserea spoke not only of himself, but of Tasuku, whom had fallen at around the same time as “Hyouryuu Kiri” had, and had many more such moments in Hive City--Tasuku, who was currently Rouga’s closest friend. “...then surely you can forgive yourself.”

“I believe...that true strength is being able to admit to your fears. Where your faults lie.”

Miserea shook his head. He didn’t know how much Rouga appreciated his advice, but the teen certainly hadn’t asked for it. The Omni Lord stopped himself before he could incur any irritation.

“At any rate... It’s still night. You should try to go back to sleep, Aragami-senpai.”

[blitztiger-blog1]

Solace

[coldbloodedjudgement-blog1]

kxttenshirt:

“Your third time? Seriously?” Tasuku had told him they had a habit of returning and snatching back certain subjects repeatedly; and knowing Miserea was one of them didn’t surprise him. Maybe it was a way of messing with his head to see how he’d react, but it wasn’t like they’d get a great big show from this particular Buddy Monster.

“That’s true, but this is you we’re talking about.” It was an attempt at joking around to lighten the obvious tension between them. Noboru could see it in his face, Miserea wasn’t too thrilled to see Noboru. Did he… hate him for what he had done as Tiger?

The notion made his stomach drop, the smile diminishing. He couldn’t blame him, really. “Well enough for being in this jacked up place. It’s been hard, but I’m glad I have most of my friends. This being your third time, you must feel at home, huh?”

“Haha...”

He went along with Noboru’s joke, laughing lightheartedly. If Noboru could fool around with him like this, did this mean Noboru didn’t resent Miserea for being the one to petrify him...?

It was still a sore subject. The memory was still far too vivid. Of Noboru smiling as his body turned to stone... The tears in his eyes... The tears Miserea had shed for him.

“I suppose... I technically never had a home to begin with, though. Aragami-senpai has made clear that I’m welcome to his home whenever I’m in need of a place, so I’m grateful for that.”

“And you... You say you have your friends here, right? I’m glad for that too, Noboru-kun. How long have you been here?”

[acedefeat]

Only Human

[coldbloodedjudgement-blog1]

acedefeat:

The more Miserea said, the more it began to dawn on Rouga what exactly he’d done, and suddenly he felt very, very awake.

Beyond some lost sleep on his part, these recurring nightmares hadn’t impacted or affected anyone around him up to this point. Unpleasant though they were, he’d dismissed them as inconsequential and not worth mentioning–or, frankly, even thinking on…but if their increasing vividness was starting to cause him to lash out at others in his sleep, there was clearly a problem. The teen didn’t want to acknowledge it, weak and pathetic as doing so would make him feel, but…–

“Stop that. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

Rouga scraped his bangs back and out of his face, agitated and somewhat annoyed–not so much at Miserea, but at the situation and himself. What was wrong with him…? The real-life equivalents of these dreams had shaken him in some ways, yes, but they were over and done with. He knew better than anybody that the past was better off staying in the past…so why…?

Without fully realizing it, he scowled, glaring at some obscure point on the opposite wall. 

“… I guess I must have been, though,” Rouga muttered vaguely. “Dreaming about…something. I’ve already forgotten what.”

He couldn’t look Miserea in the eye.

“......”

Miserea watched wordlessly as Rouga dismissed his question. Of course, he knew the teen was lying, and he didn’t need to be an Omni Lord to see it; Rouga, who always looked others in the eye when he spoke to them, Rouga, who always stood tall ad proud, refused to meet Miserea’s violet eyes and had withdrawn into himself slightly.

“Aragami-senpai.”

He didn’t know how well touching Rouga would go over at the moment, but Miserea reached for his arm, anyway. It wasn’t anything large--a simple brushing of the back of his hand against Rouga’s arm, and nothing more. He knew Rouga didn’t appreciate people invading his personal bubble, so this minuscule touch would do.

“You don’t have to lie to me... I don’t think you any less because of this.”

He could’ve left it at that. He certainly didn’t want to push a subject Rouga clearly wasn’t keen on talking about. 

“There are things even we Omni Lords fear in our dreams. Whether it be a path that hadn’t come to light, the ghosts of our past, or a dark future...”

But...Miserea wanted Rouga to trust him as well. He didn’t want to leave Rouga alone.

“You’re only human, Aragami-senpai, and the human heart can only bear so much on its own. I won’t ask you to share it with me...but just know that I’m here.”

[gaosun-deactivated20201229]

The Sun and Moon

[coldbloodedjudgement-blog1]

gaosun:

Touch cool, it was an oddity Gao has yet to be familiar with. An adjustment he’ll set forth to working on with Kiri being around again… however long he might be here. 

There’s a certain warmth at knowing he’s been missed though. Even with the whole timeline business. It was a nice feeling, marred only at the sad feeling that Kiri seemed to be uncomfortable with himself. 

But it was just like Kiri to be so at the same time.

Pulling away enough to look up at him, Gao pondered and took in his appearance, mostly his face. His eyes were darker, distant, and pupils slit like those of dragons and reptiles.

“No.” He lifted his hands upwards to his face; a pause to glance at him for silent permission to touch before cupping them and brushing his thumb over the purple marks. One of his hand wanders upwards to the yellow that crossed over him, brushing against it lightly. It was hard as he expect it.

True form, Kiri had said. Then he had always been one, a buddy monster. It wasn’t during the Gaen Cup and, in his time, they were searching for Omni Lords, disguised or hidden around in their world. Was Kiri from later in his time? Was he one of the missing Omni Lords they were searching for?

“You’re not strange for being a monster,” Gao dropped his hands, “An appearance change won’t change anything between us either. You’re still Kiri no matter what you look like. You’re still my friend, whether the kid from the alleyway, Grim Reaper, or a buddy monster.”

“The question is if you’re still willing to accept me as yours as well!”

He let Gao touch his face and horns as he pleased. The youth was no doubt surprised to see such a stark difference in appearance, and Miserea was content to let Gao explore his new form. 

Besides, Gao’s hands were warm, and his touch gentle. It was a pleasant and soft sensation and Miserea honestly wouldn’t have minded if they were like that all day. 

“Gao-kun... Hehe. You said the same thing to me when you found out about me in our own world. You never change... But that’s fine. I like you this way the best.”

He held Gao in return, though he was careful not to hurt him. He had sharp claws now, and his touch was quite cold. It would be so easy to snuff out a fragile human life with his current form, and Miserea absolutely didn’t want to do that.

“That goes without saying, Gao-kun. You will always be a precious friend to me.”

“How long have you been in Hive City? I left at around the time the earthquake struck, but it seems like everything’s in working order. If you have the time, do you mind filling me in on what’s happened since then?”

[acedefeat]

Only Human

[coldbloodedjudgement-blog1]

acedefeat:

It didn’t matter how much he stretched or strained his arm; his hand only ever grasped at empty air. In a distant, slightly more lucid corner of his mind, he realized that this particular nightmare always seemed to end this way: with him failing to make it in time and, in some variants, missing his opportunity to catch Tasuku’s arm or leg by a hair’s breadth. 

“Wake up…”

The fact that none of this had ever come to pass never really appeared to matter much in his dreams. Whispers of “what if” still haunted him regardless, and in just a few hours he’d wake in the same cold sweat that he always di–

“Aragami…-senpai!”

Rouga’s eyelids snapped open, and for several seconds he simply stared at the trapped Miserea without really seeing him. Half a beat later something seemed to click in his mind–and he sharply drew his hand back.

“–… Kiri?”

The struggled frantically to process what exactly he was looking at. He felt like he’d been hit by a truck, and his vision still felt unfocused and bleary, but Miserea was…–

“What’re you–?”

His cries didn’t go in vain; Rouga finally roused, and no sooner than that did he let go of Miserea’s neck. Miserea withdrew quickly, coughing and clutching at his throat gingerly. Had he been in human form, that would’ve been sure to bruise...

The demon lord sighed quietly, relieved to feel the air flooding his lungs again. That...had actually hurt quite a bit. 

“Forgive me, Aragami-senpai. You were tossing and turning in your sleep, so I thought I’d be doing a you favour to wake you up... It seems I was wrong.”

“...You’re very strong. I couldn’t breathe for a moment, but it’s my fault for approaching you while you were in that state.” 

He looked up at Rouga again. Though the experience had been unpleasant, there was no resentment or fear in his eyes. Miserea was still wholly concerned for Rouga. This was the first time he had seen such blatant vulnerability from him...

“Were you having a nightmare, Aragami-senpai?”

[acedefeat]

Only Human

[coldbloodedjudgement-blog1]

acedefeat:

Rouga’s dreams weren’t always exceptionally vivid or clear–in fact, much of the time they weren’t. They were often blurry and abstract, and he woke most mornings with little to no memory of what had happened or what he’d seen. Sometimes they gained just enough detail for him to remember fragments before he ultimately forgot them throughout the day. Tonight, however…neither variety visited him. Rather, tonight’s felt chillingly real.

He was on that rooftop again. 

It was a scene that had been seared into his mind since that day. Purplish-black miasma swirled and writhed around them; Rouga held himself up on one knee, his Core Gadget and his stubborn grip more or less the only things keeping him upright. Kyouya’s life count had hit zero, and he could only watch as the creature known as “Void” made its violent departure from the emaciated boy’s body. He could only watch as Tasuku’s unconscious figure crumpled to the ground.

He could only watch as Kyouya, in his agony, careened off the edge of the roof. Even as he willed his weary legs forward and ran, he could only watch as Tasuku, ever the hero, all but threw himself over that ledge to catch Kyouya’s hand. 

He could only watch, because no matter how fast and how desperately he tried to close the gap between them, Rouga wasn’t getting any closer. He couldn’t progress–couldn’t make it in time to save two of the people most precious to him. He could only watch, and as Tasuku was finally pulled over the edge of the roof and disappeared from his line of sight…Rouga reached out–

Though Rouga had made clear that his door would always be open to Miserea in emergencies, Miserea had taken to frequenting Rouga’s apartment regularly anyway. Rouga didn’t seem to mind, and Miserea was a quiet and unassuming presence--he could always retreat into his card if Rouga wanted space, and he certainly wasn’t a stranger to household chores either, so he could earn his keep. Thus, Miserea had become a semi-permanent resident of apartment m-5.

Tonight was one such night that Miserea had decided to pass in silence in Rouga’s apartment. He gave Rouga the privacy he surely wanted, but his eyes couldn’t help but drift over to the teen’s sleeping form. 

“Aragami-senpai...”

Rouga had been violently thrashing about in his sleep for a while now, and while Miserea didn’t want to disturb him, he wondered if leaving Rouga locked in a nightmare wouldn’t be more cruel.

So he reached over--

“...?!”

--and a hand shot out, closing around his throat. Caught completely off guard, the stranglehold elicited a strangled gasp from Miserea as he tried to pry Rouga’s fingers from around his neck without hurting him.

“A...Ara...gami...-senpai...” Goodness, Rouga’s grip was strong. Miserea certainly had enough strength to break free, but he’d have to break Rouga’s fingers to do it--not something he wanted to do. “Wake up...” 

And as powerful of an entity as he was, this was still causing him a great deal of discomfort. He could barely squeeze the words out as the grip tightened.

“Aragami...-senpai!”

[gaosun-deactivated20201229]

The Sun and Moon

[coldbloodedjudgement-blog1]

gaosun:

They were the same…? Then… was Kiri a Buddy Monster this whole time? It takes a moment, to chew and let the idea settle. In the end, he concludes that the current appearance must be similar to how Jack was but reversed.

And if Jack can take on a human form than it shouldn’t be surprising Kiri had been capable of that too. It certainly raised questions though.

“I probably wouldn’t if you’re from a further time than I am. The last I saw you was after my match with Kyouya.”

“I’ve been good though! Despite some recent things.” He’s still worried for Noboru but that one will take a while to find its conclusion. That aside, as if to continue from his earlier halted action, he closed the rest of the distance and embraced him. 

“It really is nice to see you again, Kiri. I’ve missed you!”

“After the match with...? Then you really must be from a different timeline, or a time before I revealed my true form to you.”

Miserea tilted his head.

“Recent things...?” But before Miserea could inquire any further about these “recent things,” Gao embraced him in a warm hug that Miserea couldn’t help but reciprocate.

“I missed you too, Gao-kun. Even though I technically just saw you.” He had to admit, it was nice being taller than Gao for a change. Miserea never really thought about it back in their home world, but it was so much easier to hold Gao this way. “You don’t think it’s strange? The way I look, I mean... Even though you don’t have memories of me, you’re still okay with me?”