thenearshore | [closed] came facing twilight on and on

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[closed] came facing twilight on and on

Who: Ryuji Sakamoto, Shion
When: August 2
Where: Casa de Sakamoto
What: Ryuji's noticed that Shion's been staying up a bit later than usual the last couple of nights...

[It's a bit strange. Ryuji has been able to sleep soundly since his arrival barring the rare nights that he's woken up to visions of Ann's or Shion's deaths. Those dreams have become less common as they continue to grow into a more solid unit together and as they seem to be just a little bit more comfortable with their new lives here. Even if it's just a little bit, it's still something and he'll take it for what it is.

Except he's noticed that for the last night or two, he's been having a harder time falling asleep. It's unlike Ryuji Sakamoto of all people to be so awake at this hour - most nights he's out like a light the second his head hits his pillow - so he wanders down to the kitchen for a snack, and where he can sense one shinki feeling as wide awake as he is.

He stops in the archway to the kitchen, folding his arms in front of his chest as he watches Shion's back for a while, waiting to see if he'll turn around. Whether he noticed Ryuji's shuffling or not, he'll suddenly speak up from where he stands.]

Y'know, this whole god and shinki connection thing is still the weirdest shit ever.

[A+ ice breaker, 10/10!!!]

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[Shion had a strange dream a few nights ago. One that left him feeling shaken and a little worried. The dream had been so real that he swears it had been a memory rather than a dream. Seeing a boy's familiar face and being teased for being weak. Then a small play fight and a spoon to his throat in place of an actual knife and Shion asking how to do such a thing.

And laughter.

This sweet innocence sound that he can't get out of his head now. It leaves him sleeping worse than ever. Since arriving here he's been getting terrible sleep but now sleep barely even comes. So he spends a few nights just reading until the morning sun hits the windows. Reading anything. Mythology, text books, fiction and non-fiction. Just absorbing words until his brain can shut down enough.

He barely hears Ryuji shuffling so when he speaks he jolts a little from where he's pouring over an old copy of Hamlet.]

Ahh. Sorry, did I wake you up?

[His eyes look tired, dark bags under them.]

Maybe.

[He crosses over to the fridge and throws it open to search for a snack and a drink, and he pulls out two pieces of stringed cheese and two water bottles. There isn't much else to pick from, so he hopes you like cheese, Shion!

Ryuji takes a spot on one side of the table and slides over the water and the cheese, but he doesn't touch his own.]

I dunno, man. It's probably just me. You been feelin' alright?

[Note to self: Grocery shopping in the morning.

Shion does take the water to open it and sip a little. Ryuji's question has him feeling a little anxious.]

I've ... I'm having a hard time sleeping the last few days. Dreams and nightmares, things like that. I don't mean to worry you, though.

Well too bad. You did.

[And so here they are.

He picks at the wrapper for his cheesestring, but isn't making any effort to open it just yet. Ryuji can feel parts of that anxiety, and he wonders how much of it is Shion and how much of it is his own.]

Wanna talk about it?

[He visibly winces a little. He's still unsure about how deep the connection between god and shinki goes but this proves that it's quite deep. Ryuji could feel his negative emotion as clear as day.]

I guess there's no keeping things quiet. [He says a little sheepishly.]

I had this dream that felt so real I almost swear it was. Now I can't get it out of my head. It was me... I think... as a child. Before my ... [He gestures at his white hair and touches the scar on his cheek.] Before all this.

[He's assuming, anyway.]

[His gaze snaps up from his fingers fiddling with the wrapper to Shion, visibly worried now. They warned against things like this - about shinki and their past and their memories, and Ryuji half gets up out of his chair, the feet of it squeaking against the floor.

He pauses though, and sits back down.]

Whoa, slow down man... one thing at a time. [Even he's having trouble grasping all of this and the terror of what this means is making his stomach flip uncomfortably.] Whattaya mean before all this?

I- ... I don't know.

[He feels a little nervous and starts to tug at his hair because of it.]

Before my hair and eyes became like this? [His voice shakes because he also knows the caution there is behind a shinki questioning their pasts. But how else is he supposed to explain?]

[Ryuji, too, knows the risks of asking that question which is why he doesn't poke at it further... even if he would tear apart whatever Blight dared touch Shion or Ann. He folds his arms over his chest and pushes his feet against the floor so that the chair leans on its back legs and he rocks, restless.]

Whattid you look like in the dream?

[He's allowed to ask that, right? It's about the dream, and not really about his past?]

[There's a tentative breath from Shion. It ... Should be okay. He hopes, he doesn't want to hurt Ryuji or Ann.]

Like... a normal kid. My hair and eyes were brown and ... No scar.

[He subconsciously rubs at the back of his neck near his hanaki marking.]

In the dream I was laughing with another boy.

Another boy?

[He mirrors Shion's motions, rubbing a hand against the back of his neck, too.]

Hey, you sure this was a dream? I've heard people sayin' that shinki can get their memories back... Wonder if that's what's goin' on here. If this is somethin' that might've happened before you ended up lookin' like that, sounds to me like it might be.

[He can be observant... sometimes.]

[Ryuji is a little dimwitted sometimes but... He's actually accurate. Enough that Shion's eyes widen slightly and he looks down at his book with a ponderous expression.]

Do you really think it's a real memory? If it is... I want to know who that boy is. And what actually happened to me.

[That's ... not allowed, though. Lest he hurts Ryuji or gets himself killed for it. Shion can't help but feel a little negative about this suddenly. Teased with a memory only to get more questions without being allowed to find answers. Like being given a sip of water in a desert.

Shion's negative feelings will sting Ryuji. Only slightly, but the guilt for wanting to know more about himself is too hard to surpress.]

...

[There's the feeling of a faint stinging on the back of one of Ryuji's shoulders but he steels himself against the pain with a clenched jaw and tense fingers. He doesn't want to show it... he has to put on a braver face for Shion.

He tries to maintain his usual demeanor - casual, relaxed, laid-back in hopes that it will help Shion do the same. The two of them just got a giant bomb dropped on their heads and how is he even supposed to help him?]

I dunno, it could be... No use throwin' that away as a possibility.

[But no matter how hard he tries to keep his cool, it's inevitable that he'll lose it at some point. A ticking time bomb... And he feels helpless.]

You didn't catch the dude's name or anythin'?

[He doesn't mean to sting Ryuji. This is a consequence of being a shinki that Shion finds the most unsettling. Negative emotions and unsure feelings are just as human as positive ones. So why did his god have to suffer for Shion being human? It just isn't fair.]

If it is a memory. I want to hold onto it for as long as I can.

[He sighs softly and suddenly can't look at Ryuji's eyes.]

I didn't... We were talking about... How to cut someone's throat. And then he teased me for being naive and strange. Then I woke up.

[How to.... cut... someone's...

He unknowingly reaches a clammy hand up to rub at his neck again and he breathes out a nervous laugh. He... isn't really sure what to say to that but he promised Shion he would listen, and that's exactly what he's going to do.

After he chugs down half his bottle of water though. He throws down a giant sip and tries to look at Shion, even if he isn't looking at Ryuji.]

Uhh... right... so you uh, ain't ever seen this person... before?

[So, you know, he can watch out for potential throat cutters...]

[Awkward... If he could remember why they were talking about that he could try to explain? Maybe??

Shion's face burns with embarrassment as he waits for Ryuji to chug his water.]

Not that I can remember... But we seemed to know each other, I was holding his hand. [Sigh.] He had dark long hair and gray eyes.

[Holding hands and talking about how to cut someone's throat... Alright...

Just what kind of life did Shion have before he got here? Not to mention, the vision of his death that Ryuji had seen doesn't make this any better. The poor kid, he feels kinda sorry for him.

He manages to quell that nervousness from before and Ryuji sounds more serious now.]

And so that's why you been havin' trouble sleepin'? Or is there more?

[If he could search for all the answers to why his life seems so strange and ... well... morbid-- he would. He feels so trapped.

Shion lets out a small tired sigh and nods.]

Yes, that's it. Every time time I try to sleep my brain just turns on and thinks and thinks and I can't turn it off. So...

[He manages a smile and picks up his book.]

I've started doing some light reading.

[Shion, that book isn't light. It's Hamlet.]

[Ryuji leans in a little to take a look at the book Shion displays, glad that he's at least managed a bit of a smile. He'll take that.]

Hamlet? Oh shit, man. [He props his chin up on his hand, elbow slamming against the table with interest.] They made us read this kinda shit in English class but I never really paid much attention. It's that 'Shakespire' dude, right?

Shakespeare.

[Shion correctly quietly as his smile gets a bit bigger at Ryuji's interest in it. That makes him a little happy.]

I know the language can be hard to understand but if you can pay attention the stories are amazing.

Hamlet is about the revenge Prince Hamlet is called to wreak upon his uncle, Claudius, by the ghost of Hamlet's father, the King. Claudius murdered his own brother and seized the throne and married his deceased brother's widow. So it's up to Prince Hamlet to bring justice. There is a lot of action and sword fighting and struggling with doing the right thing. It's great.

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[closed] came facing twilight on and on

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