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Who: Slaine Troyard

adept and Hibari Kyoya

discilplineking
What: A social call
When: 3/22
Where: Menrva's temple
Warnings: Hibari

[It hasn't been that long since Slaine had crossed paths with Hibari. The young man had accosted him then, just as the first time they'd met...but he didn't remember the first time. Didn't remember anything but Hakkai, apparently. The thought is cause for concern, if not a little alarm. What little they build up after losing all memory of who they are might vanish like smoke, or something very close to it. Only the vaguest sense that something was there before is left, like the scent of burned wood.

Having not known Hibari especially well, his being forgotten doesn't seem a terrible loss. It's disturbing, and will surely remain so, but Slaine thinks other losses were surely worse. He doesn't know whether anything at all can be done for that, even after having had the time to digest the reality of the circumstances more thoroughly.

But he does want to keep an eye on him, because of one, very important thing.

The only person I remember is Hakkai after I died.

Somehow, Hibari had died again. Something or someone had ended his life - or his afterlife. The thought is deeply unsettling, and serves as enough motivation to spur him toward the school he'd insisted knowing the location of. Slaine chooses evening to make this foray, Lily tucked into his shirt for warmth. It seems to him he shouldn't be missed at night, when he's expected to be sleeping, and shouldn't trouble his new god with any needless concerns.

Reaching the temple-turned-school doesn't take him long, though it takes a while for him to actually spot Hibari...and some time longer to find his way up to the roof. But for all that he might seem impassive, he finds a way, carefully edging further along until he's a short distance away from his fellow shinki, just beyond arm's reach]

I thought you might like to evaluate Lily's condition for yourself.

[The words are soft, but with the night as still as it is, he doesn't think he'll go unheard]

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[Hibari, being an incredibly light sleeper, woke up the instant he heard Slaine come on the roof, tensing up until he saw that it was someone he knew already. He was still even more suspicious than usual-probably going to be until he found his murderer and grew strong enough to defeat them.

Still, he didn't look particularly pleased to be visited by someone, even if it was Slaine and even if he had a kitten. He did very well thinking to himself.]

Is that the only reason you've come to annoy me?

[As Hibari spoke, Kishi raised his head from Hibari's stomach and let out a loud mew. He could smell another kitten.]

[It was about the sort of reception that Slaine would've expected from him, and so he didn't pause in unzipping his jacket so he could settle Lily on his lap. She hadn't seen any of her litter-mates since the day they'd been found in that alleyway, so she was overdue for some socialization.

Not that Hope and Ky weren't also giving her attention, of course. There was just something to be said for one cat being able to interact with another. He'd just have to keep an eye on her, while they were up on a rooftop]

Would you honestly accept any other reason?

[A question said airily, as he expected that Hibari really wouldn't have taken kindly to a visit otherwise unless it was asking for a fight. But as of yet he hadn't much reason to pick one, and Hibari had been through something terrible recently]

Which begs the question of why you are even bothering.

[He completely accepted what Slaine was saying, because it was true. Slaine probably had ulterior motives, but he was definitely going to be seeing if he was treating the kitten he'd supposedly rescued well.

He watched as Kishi got off his chest, padding over to start investigating the new kitten. They most likely did recognize each other as siblings, as Hibari watched the two sniff each other a lot before Kishi raised a paw to bat at Lily's tail.

Hibari wasn't going to move, since this was HIS territory, and it was also the school.]

I suppose we all have our reasons.

[If Hibari wanted more of an answer than that, he could give him one. But for someone who concerned himself with avoiding unnecessary conversation, Slaine wasn't too sure whether he'd really care for that much.

The fact was, somebody had killed Hibari. As militant as he was, such excessive use of force was concerning, if not disturbing. And even if that second death was impermanent, it didn't make the results any less enduring.

He kept his eyes on Lily, watching the way her tail swished aside as she mewled, dropping a paw on her brother's face. She had something of a vantage point, sitting on Slaine as she was, and she seemed to be making use of it... though a young kitten's movements weren't the most precise]

[And still, Slaine wasn't going to leave, and it wasn't like Hibari could go inside the school or find another rooftop because his idiot kitten was now over there playing with the other one.

She looked healthy and happy, so the only thing the grey-haired kid had going for him was the fact that he knew how to look after kittens. Not much in the way of respect, if their non-existant fighting had anything to say about that.

Hibari just sighed and turned back to staring at the sky as Kishi started waving his paws in front of him.]

If you think this makes me want to have a conversation with you, you're wrong.

I expect by now that you don't appreciate talk that serves no purpose.

[Hibari didn't seem to like talk that did serve a productive end either. If anything, it gave the strong impression that he was walling himself off for one reason or another...not that any of them could truly recall their reasons for what they felt or did. So there probably wasn't much use in thinking about the rhyme or reason.

He idly reached down to pet Lily, scratching gently behind her ear]

There was something I did feel it necessary to say, however.

[And there he paused, deeming it best to wait and see whether Hibari wanted to know what that was or not. If he didn't, it wouldn't change his stance. It was only the difference of whether he voiced it]

[Hibari was silent for several moments after that, since he wasn't going to leave without Kishi, nor was he inclined to talk to the other. Still, Slaine made no move to leave and instead said things like that.

Did he really have anything important?]

Either speak your peice or leave. I don't like being crowded.

I intend to find out who killed you.

[It wasn't a suggestion, and his tone said as much. The words were a hard assertion of fact.

Whatever Hibari wanted to do with that information, if he did find it, was up to him. But if it was something he learned, he'd be sure to tell Hakkai and Elsa as well, rather than risk the same thing happening twice]

And I think it had to have been a god.

[None of the shinki he'd seen were overly malicious. Even Henry, for all his odd fascination with bloodshed, hadn't gone after one of his own]

[That certainly got Hibari's attention. He was angry enough about his own death that he needed to find out more, and Ren questioning it made sense, but...Slaine? He didn't know this guy. In fact, the only thing that connected them is cats.]

Of course it had to be a god, but why? I can figure this out myself.

[He didn't trust his motives, not for a second.]

Gods aren't necessarily benevolent, are they? Even in mythologies, some of them are malicious toward mortals.

[And whether they can put much of any stock in those myths is debatable, but one thing remains...]

The gods we interact with seem human enough. And some people will abuse power, won't they?

[He says it a little too matter-of-factly, like he's well familiar with that reality. It's concerning to think there's a god who will casually take lives like that. With the difference in power in place, even retaliating against Hibari's inclination to pick fights wouldn't necessitate so much force as to kill him.

Anyone who considered that appropriate was worrisome]

Edited 2016-06-10 04:20 (UTC)

[If Hibari was capable of being sarcastic-he grew that trait later in life-he would've by now, but as it was, he just grew ever more irritation.]

Idiot. That wasn't what I was asking. I know firsthand that gods care little for the lives of their so called compatriots.

I'm more concerned with why YOU feel the need to help.

[Concern? What was that?]

[In response to that pointed comment, he shrugged first.

Of course, that wasn't a complete answer]

If I saw it in terms of "helping", it would offend you.

[Slaine was fairly confident that was the case]

As for the reason I want to know... I suppose you could say it concerns me.

You concerned about whoever it is that killed me will come after you? I highly doubt it. I'm the only one who has died so far. It was obviously personal.

[And he's still mad at the heavens in the first place, because really, it had been timed all too conveniently.]

I never said it was out of concern for my own personal safety... Though I'm not surprised you'd assume I was that self-serving.

[If anything, Hibari seemed to regard the world in such terms.

Slaine's fairly sure he's not wrong about some portion of the world being like that, but it's not his motivation]

How do you avoid repeating something you can't even recall?

It's easy. I just get stronger. That's the only way the world works.

[From the way Hibari phrased it, it was an answer to both of Slaine's statements. It was odd, thinking about his motivations without memories to back it up, but he could guess. And he knew he had never once trusted anything but his own strength to get him through each day.]

Gods inherently have more power than we do. If it is a god...

[Strength of arms is important, Slaine won't deny that much. More important even than real power is appearing powerful - he doesn't know why, but he's certain of this much.

That being said, there's also knowing which battles one can and cannot win]

If that's the case, and if it is personal, the lack of information is dangerous.

Do you really think I will ever bow to a god?

[Hibari's world view of the strongest win, there wasn't much budging for anything else. You either conquered your demons, or you died. And after the humiliation of last time, he certainly wasn't going to let it happen again.]

And if that means finding out who the god is, I will. And then send them to hell like they deserve.

Unless, unlike you... That god comes back with recollection - and angry.

[While there are aspects of Hibari's mentality he understands, other parts seem incredibly foolish]

The amount of power we have is limited in scope compared to a god, and it'd be waste if you went through the same thing repeatedly. How would that make you any stronger?

[Particularly if he forgets anything he happened to gain?]

I'm planning ahead, idiot.

[He wasn't going to tell Slaine, but he was already keeping a log in Ren's table. It pretty much read like a list of people and how much he hated them, but it was in case he forgot his memories again on his quest, if the same or a different person ended him.

Of course he was going to keep fighting so that would never happen.]

Things like shinki and gods don't matter to me. What matters is getting strong enough to bite the gods themselves to death. I'm not going to stop because you're too weak to think it can be done.

Not acknowledging your own limitations is, in itself, a weakness... One that makes you fail to consider ways of working around it.

[Their philosophies regarding strength certainly differ. Slaine knows he believes strongly that one does need to at least appear strong and capable, and that there's a power in this.

But in order to succeed with the actuality of one's strengths, strategy is required]

You don't gain power by destroying yourself. I'm sure of that much.

You haven't been listening to a word I've been saying.

[At this point, Hibari actually stood up, intending to retrieve his kitten so he could leave or something.] Or do you really want a fight that badly?

I'm not destroying myself and never intend to. I'll kill the gods with my own hands no matter how long it takes.

[Slaine was rather sure that Hibari wasn't the one listening, at this juncture. He puffed out a sigh, wondering how he might get his point across]

If I were to best you, I wonder if you'd get my meaning then.

[Idle musing, as he suspected he knew the answer]

I suppose you'd just keep trying, wouldn't you? The thing is...if you don't adapt, and you just keep barreling forward, it isn't a mark of strength or determination. It's limiting yourself.

[Hibari? Not listening to what someone else is saying? How absurd.]

Do you really think you can?

I've been waiting for someone to challange me all on their own.

[But he can't and won't stop. For Hibari, the only way to keep becoming stronger was to not stop when the world told you, to keep pushing and struggling until you bit back at the world that swallowed you whole.

Kishi had come back to rub against his owner's ankles, but Hibari pushed him away gently with a foot.] Little one, you're in the way.

I know more about how you fight than you do about my methods.

[Said simply, because it was plain fact. Hibari didn't remember the one time that they'd exchanged blows, and at that time, Slaine had held back. While he understood Hibari to be persistent to the point of being unyielding, he fully believed what he'd said.

There was something to be said for strategy.

He picked himself up then, Lily cradled in his arms]

But not up here. Wouldn't want these two getting hurt by mistake.

Is that a threat?

[An almost smile broke across Hibari's face-indeed, he may not remember, but even in his short memory, he didn't remember many people being bold enough to do so. However, even Hibari wasn't going to attack when there were kittens around, despite how much of a thug he seemed to be.]

Are you proposing a change of scenery?

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