bunnylord phd, doctor of extremely good philosophy (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
existentialcrisis) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
thenearshore2016-11-20 12:06 am
existentialcrisis) wrote in thenearshore2016-11-20 12:06 am
[closed]
Who: Ukoku and friends (I'm sure they're friends)
What: luring people into his hell temple to do bad magic for bad reasons, nice conversations
When: some days
Where: aforementioned hell temple
Warnings: crows in a literal pie
[ The enchantment was a little too much. His fault, maybe, for being economical (see also "lazy") about it, but it doesn't really matter. It worked, and it's still working. The question, now that things have changed, is whether it's still useful.
But there's no benefit in being quick to throw away Ni Jianyi. So he shows up at the temple of Dionysus, not a priest (a not-like-the-other-old-guys professor, at best, with a hoodie over a dress shirt and his stupid yellow monkey hair tie wrapped around his wrist on top of an incongruously sober black watch), and knocks. ]
[ Generally, nothing she does really surprises Ukoku—but the text asking after his hangover (as if he had no experience handling them) came close. That was a week and a half ago. He's never expecting her, strictly speaking, but now, less than ever.
The temple has changed since she was last there. The boxes around the perimeter of the atrium are gone, as are the sigils—and the pool in the center. It's been replaced by a crater with sharp, curving edges.
Ukoku himself is out in his makeshift lab, behind the temple. ]
[ It's been days since the pool disappeared, and the most Ukoku has said about it—in passing—is that he made a mistake with some magic. Nothing to worry about! He's been busy, too, either out of the temple or in the greenhouse (which now has zero plants) when Guy's not, and he may or may not be inconspicuously checking whatever easy, boring lab work Guy chooses to do for him.
On this particular day, though, Ukoku actually makes a point to locate him as soon as he gets back to the temple. ]
Guy?
What: luring people into his hell temple to do bad magic for bad reasons, nice conversations
When: some days
Where: aforementioned hell temple
Warnings: crows in a literal pie
[ The enchantment was a little too much. His fault, maybe, for being economical (see also "lazy") about it, but it doesn't really matter. It worked, and it's still working. The question, now that things have changed, is whether it's still useful.
But there's no benefit in being quick to throw away Ni Jianyi. So he shows up at the temple of Dionysus, not a priest (a not-like-the-other-old-guys professor, at best, with a hoodie over a dress shirt and his stupid yellow monkey hair tie wrapped around his wrist on top of an incongruously sober black watch), and knocks. ]
[ Generally, nothing she does really surprises Ukoku—but the text asking after his hangover (as if he had no experience handling them) came close. That was a week and a half ago. He's never expecting her, strictly speaking, but now, less than ever.
The temple has changed since she was last there. The boxes around the perimeter of the atrium are gone, as are the sigils—and the pool in the center. It's been replaced by a crater with sharp, curving edges.
Ukoku himself is out in his makeshift lab, behind the temple. ]
[ It's been days since the pool disappeared, and the most Ukoku has said about it—in passing—is that he made a mistake with some magic. Nothing to worry about! He's been busy, too, either out of the temple or in the greenhouse (which now has zero plants) when Guy's not, and he may or may not be inconspicuously checking whatever easy, boring lab work Guy chooses to do for him.
On this particular day, though, Ukoku actually makes a point to locate him as soon as he gets back to the temple. ]
Guy?
no subject
It confirms, at least, that the memory of dying wasn't just suppressed. ]
I did. If I ever go back, it'll only be another minute. I heard it from other people.
[ More or less, not really, sort of. ]
no subject
'Don't say that,' she wants to say, but there's no good that could come from voicing it out loud. Instead she leans into him more, considering what he's said.]
Knowing that, if you go back, will you change it?
[She speaks low, as if speaking too loud will shatter the world around them]
no subject
[ His voice is casual and unperturbed, as if he's talking about someone else's death, or a theoretical death, intangible and poetic. ]
Maybe not.
[ That's the answer, either way. He's staring up at the stars, hands laced together around the small of her back. ]
But I'm not trying to go back. I don't need to.
no subject
Or maybe she's still coming down from the hyperfocus of her abilities. She wonders idly what the two of them might look like to anyone passing by. Some kind of crow spirits or something?]
Why not? [It's the obvious question to ask next, but he seems to be in a more forthcoming mood than usual with his answers, and she'll take advantage of it for now.]
no subject
Maybe if I die here, you can do whatever it is you're supposed to do. I'll call you when someone comes to get me.
[ It might be a joke. ]
no subject
[She watches him a moment, before reaching up to tug him down to her again] Won't you?
no subject
Not that long ago—what was it, a few weeks? less?—he'd been unable to decide whether she'd really meant to say that a certain kind of death was her favorite, and here she is now. ]
Is that what you want? Interesting deaths? [ He pauses, analyzing her expression. ] What would make a death interesting?
no subject
--Ah. In the span of a couple seconds her eyes widen with realization before her expression goes quickly guarded and wary.] I- I don't-- [She hadn't meant to say something like that? Why had she said something like that? She didn't want to admit to those sorts of things, out loud or to herself, and for a moment she absolutely, completely, hated him for making her acknowledge it at all.
Yuri doesn't answer for a long moment, eyes locked on him in some mixed expression of hate and accusation, before she forces herself to look away to think. Even that slip of body language clearly broadcasts defeat, giving in to try and find an answer, for her own sake as much as his.]
I... can feel everything they feel... [She speaks slowly, carefully choosing her words as she tries to figure out how to put such a difficult concept into something that makes sense. So logically, painless deaths were best, honestly, but beyond that] I like-- jumpers, the best. For a moment, it feels like flying. I suppose drowning isn't terrible either... [There's a far-off look in her eyes that could almost be longing before its gone again and she shakes her head.]
I suppose... As long as it makes me feel something other than the normal regret or fear or something, that's what would make it interesting. [She doesn't know if that's really the 'right' answer, but it's the only one she can currently give as she doesn't quite know how to answer it herself.] So maybe you should put in a request when you die.