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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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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?

My words ring empty if I don't prove the value is strategy, isn't that so?

[Slaine felt he understood that much about Hibari, if so little else. Perhaps if he made his point — if he illustrated it in action — Hibari might consider adopting a little such forethought himself.

No reason not to try, if it was to his benefit]

Different terrain would be more suitable, if you ask me.

[Well Slaine did seem to get it; if Slaine thought his way of thinking was stronger, than he could show him. Hibari respected the fight enough to see it through like that, despite his hatred for listening to people.

So he just waited, picking Kishi up with one hand and putting the kitten on his shoulder and staring at Slaine until he did something. He wasn't going to wait very long before he started fighting.]

[Having Lily perched on his own shoulder, Slaine moved to climb down from the roof. This location was almost guaranteed to lead to excess injuries that had nothing to do with any actual blows exchanged, and he trusted that Hibari wouldn't attack him until their kittens were situated.

If nothing else, he seemed to have consideration for small animals.

So he made his way back down to ground-level, not wasting time in looking for a place to set Lily down. Her safety was his priority]

[Hibari didn't need anything like safety or reason, so he just hopped down from the roof like a normal person. Kishi was peeled off his shoulder-for some reason, the kitten had decided he wanted to stay there-and set him on top of his sister.

And then almost the instant he did that, he jumped at Slaine, elbow swinging for the guy's head.]

[Well, Hibari didn't waste time, did he? Slaine was fortunate in that he had quick reflexes, and he had to imagine it was conditioned. A fleeting thought as he sidestepped the attack, countering with a jab to Hibari's side.

He was fairly sure that attack would be evaded, but that was the point]

[Of course he didn't. Fighting was his life and now with the cats safely napping on top of each other, he could go all out and let his frustrations loose.

If this guy wanted to show him how good his forethought really is, then Slaine would have to work for it. Hibari had no intention of going easy.

He caught the blow to his side with one hand and twisted it aside, reaching up a leg to kick Slaine in the stomach.]

[Slaine remembered that particular move. Hibari had tried to kick him in the stomach once before, and at that time he'd allowed it in the interest of catching his leg.

This time around, he yanked back sharply on the arm Hibari had caught to pull him forward and knock him off-balance before that kick could connect, pivoting to one side and blocking with his free arm.

As soon as he'd absorbed the impact of that, he tried countering with an elbow to Hibari's gut. He hadn't appreciated it when Slaine didn't bother taking any offensive, before]

You did that last time.

[Just in case he was wondering]

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