action and text; @bacura

[mellowyellow]

[It's late on the seventh when Masaomi wakes up on a church pew. At first, he can't bring himself to do anything other than stare at his hands. Slowly he raises them above his head, takes in the palms, flips them over, hesitantly touches the backs, slides his fingers down his own arms.

He's whole.

Suddenly, he digs his nails in. It hurts, and he pulls back, leaving harsh red marks. Masaomi sits up then, still staring like he can't believe his own senses.

He's not crying. You're crying.]


[It's not until the eighth that he sends out another text. No ominous snapshots this time.]

Didn't cut it as a carny.

Comments

[mellowyellow]

[This is certainly new for Masaomi. No punches were exchanged! He doesn't even know this guy, and the dude's bawling for him anyway. He just woke up from being dead. He is not qualified to deal with this shit.

...Oh.

Or maybe he is. Mikado used to be such a crybaby. It's been a long time since then. Masaomi hasn't had to soothe a hysterical Mikado since elementary school. Shit, he misses Mikado. He misses taking care of Mikado. He misses feeling like someone needs him. Without thinking, Masaomi pulls his turtleneck sleeve over his hand and begins wiping Sora's tear stained face.

He can't hold back an misplaced chuckle as he realizes what he's doing, but, well, literally anything is better than remembering his death.]

I'd be more worried about your tear ducts, man. I think they're broken.

[arsarcanum]

[ Sora is only mildly aware that there's someone else dabbing at his face for a hot second! Like, he sees it happening, but it doesn't register that it's a thing that's happening until he lifts his own hand to wipe his eyes. There are some obstacles in the way! Arm shaped obstacles! It clicks together pretty quick after that.

What a strange reaction. He just died. This is way too nice. This is something Sora would do, actually. ]

Oh no. Oh no, I really look that pathetic, don't I? [ He's still got the waterworks going, but he's laughing a little. This is a new level of absurdity. ] Geez. If you keep doing that, I'm gonna keep leaking more. F-Fair warning.

[ It's nice. Sora isn't sure why he's doing this, but it's nice to be cared for. But it's absolutely too nice and he will cry until he turns into a raisin if Masaomi continues to be kind to him, so for their own sakes, Sora will eventually sneak his own sleeve into the mix and dry his own face, thank you. ]

Sorry. I, uh. Found your lantern a few days ago. I'm just glad you made it.

cw: self-mutilation

[mellowyellow]

[Oh. Oh. Oh fuck. That's why this guy is crying? He's the one who found his lantern. Suddenly, his asking "Are you all here?" takes on a horrific new meaning.

There's no stopping the flood of emotion now. Masaomi's smile cracks like glass as the vivid imagery overwhelms his senses. He remembers the all-encompassing, bile-inducing certainty that his own body was tacked-on garbage. It had to be thrown away. The wine red blood, tough muscle, splintering bone - all spraying, tearing, and snapping in time with the music. Rejoicing in the release, relishing the life draining from his body as he scraped and scratched, burrowed and stabbed into every inch of his own flesh.

His hand hangs in the air, halfway between himself and Sora, utterly forgotten as it begins to shake.]

You didn't- You didn't see anything... did you? I mean, with the lantern?

[Have his fucking entrails scarred a stranger for life?]

[arsarcanum]

[ Sora's a bit distracted as he finishes rubbing his own eyes, but he'll notice the hand first, then Masaomi's face. Oh. He pauses, not sure if this is - like, is he allowed to get closer? Masaomi was the one to enter his space, but this is another thing entirely. He's not sure if it's okay to do the same in kind.

(The real Sora would know what to do, his brain hisses at him from the corner of his mind. He puts it away. No time for that.) ]

There wasn't anything. The parade was gone, it was really quiet when I got there. It was just your lantern, nothing else. Hey. [ And Sora does get closer, his voice going soft as he peers into Masaomi's face. ] Hey. Masaomi?

[mellowyellow]

[Just the lantern. Nothing else. The words echo through his mind as he tries to wrap his head around them for several seconds. That means that by the time Sora got there, all evidence was already gone. He hasn't seen anything. He doesn't know anything. It's okay.

The moment realization dawns, Masaomi's entire body sags in relief. He blinks stupidly at Sora, his own name registering in his ears, and finally drops his outstretched arm.]

O-Oh. Good. What's up?

[arsarcanum]

[ Sora looks at Masaomi for a second, eyes and nose still kind of comically red from his baby meltdown, then plops himself down, putting his hands in his lap. This is just where they're hanging out now. ]

Not much. Do you want to know what you missed while you were out? [ ... ] Or, uh, is there something else that you wanna know?

[mellowyellow]

[Just chillin' on the floor between the pews. Their butts won't regret this at all later.]

What I missed...? [He allows the question to trail off as his brain catches up with the implications.] Wait, how long was I out? You said just a few days, right?

[arsarcanum]

[ Two brooos, chillin' on a church flooooor

Sora will nod! ]

Yeah, maybe three. There's not much to update you on, to be honest. People were just really worried about you the whole time. [ He laughs. ] Boy, is Jason gonna be glad to see you!

[mellowyellow]

[Damn, that's right. Jason. He and Stone may be the only ones in Beacon Masaomi genuinely believes would worry over him. Jason especially... Masaomi remembers the agonizing anxiety of wondering whether M.K. could really come back, of asking himself again and again whether it was all his fault.

Jason doesn't deserve that.

Masaomi ducks his head, scratches at the back of his neck.]

Yeah, he's a pretty great guy. If anybody gave him trouble over this, I'll have to punch 'em a few times.

[arsarcanum]

Gave him trouble? Over you making a mistake? [ Sora frowns. ] That's kinda backwards to me. Like, if anyone gave him trouble over this, you'd have to beat me to them. What is he, your babysitter?

[ For real, though, Sora's going to look at Masaomi intently, the little keyholes in his eyes slowly widening in the low light. ]

No one gave anyone trouble over this. [ He shrugs. ] 'Cept for Vanitas, but he doesn't say anything worth listening to. [ Sure, he listens to the things Vanitas says, but he's different! He deserves whatever Vanitas says to him. ]

[mellowyellow]

[He bites his lip to muffle the amused snort erupting from his throat. So Vanitas did say something then.]

Oh, you know him, huh? Real charming, that guy. A laugh and a half.

[How the sarcasm oozes.]

[arsarcanum]

[ Sora will close his eyes and huff a laugh. ]

Sort of. I wish he'd lighten up a little. World's more than darkness. I mean, like not here. Just like, you know. [ Sigh. ] Metaphors are hard here, bro.

... I hope you don't let him get to you? I mean, I'm not your babysitter either, but if he's messing with you... [ ... He's not sure what he can do, but at the very least he doesn't want other people to get hurt by him while he figures him out. ]

[mellowyellow]

Yeah, that's not going to happen. [A playful roll of his eyes hopefully downplays just how much Vanitas does get under his skin.] He's everyone's emo phase come to life as an angry internet troll. He wishes he was a real boy, but he can't seem to master anything beyond the dick and asshole.

[arsarcanum]

[ tfw the u mad evolves into yes mad actually

Sora's going to lean back, hiding a huge grin behind his fist and sucking a breath in between his teeth. ]

Yo, you gotta warn a guy. I'm weak. [ His shoulders shake as he tries not to laugh. ] I mean, it's true, but you don't have to come for his life like that.

[mellowyellow]

[Just your average evil recolor clone twin problems.]

There's a cure for that, you know. [The lopsided curve of Masaomi's lips could almost be construed as a smirk.] It's called exposure.

[arsarcanum]

[ Sora's going to look at Masaomi, eyes wide and perfectly serious. Eventually, he puts a hand over his heart. Thump. This is mock-serious, totally amused, but he is smiling a little for real. ]

You got jokes. You're gonna give me jokes. I think that means we're friends now, right?

[mellowyellow]

Well, you did go out of your way to try and help me out....

[He trails off like he actually has to think about this, even turns his head away from Sora like he feels bad about it.]

I guess I've got a few extra jokes tucked away in my arsenal. I could dust them off for a new buddy or two.

[arsarcanum]

Yeah? Yeah....?

[ Is Sora playing along with the act or is he fidgeting out of a genuine anxiety about getting rejected? A little of column a, and if there's a bit of column b, well. Let's not talk about that!

Anyway, playing at being a little softer than he is is fun. It's something he's missed, letting people tease him without always needing to defend himself. He doesn't want to take himself too seriously. ]

C'mon. I'll be a good friend. I can cook? And I know magic. I'm not funny or smart, but I can bench like 200 pounds, and that's almost the same thing. [ That's a lie, it's 400, but Sora wants this to be a normal conversation, thanks. ]

[mellowyellow]

[Despite his would-be act, Masaomi can't help but snicker under his breath. It's never fun to be reminded of how outclassed he is in this crazy world, but the way Sora spins it, both insecure and over the top at the same time... It's cute.

Sort of like how Mikado would scramble for witty rejoinders whenever Masaomi joked about him and Anri.]

That is pretty funny.

[He raises a fist. Bump it, new buddy.]

How could I resist?

[arsarcanum]

[ Sora has to slap a hand over his mouth before removing his hand and smiling. Why? Perhaps a case of the giggles. We'll never know. ]

Nice. [ And Sora will bump that. ] Name's Sora. Nice to meet you, Masaomi.

[mellowyellow]

Yeah, you too. Y'know, apart from why and where and how and all that.

[He shakes his head before pushing himself back to his feet with the seat of a pew.]

Still, not the worst wake up call I've ever gotten. Thanks, Sora.

[arsarcanum]

Haha, yeah. I've had worse first impressions, though. [ He's going to have to tell him about the time a panicking magical girl punched him into a brick wall. ]

Hey, no problem. Let's get you back to your place. C'mon. [ And Sora will get up himself, brush himself off briskly, then head to the door with him! Will probably at least walk him to the Invincible before heading home himself. Yeah!! Friendship!! ]

[mellowyellow]

Oh, there's a story behind that. Don't tell me there isn't.

[In fact, just tell him the story as they walk to the Invincible. That would be a wonderful distraction right now.

New friend get!]

[arsarcanum]

Aah, I dunno. It's not that interesting. I was sort of a different person back then, too.

[ That goes for the time his gang cell leader entered a blood pact with him and the time a space action figure kept thinking he was very sus. (For what it's worth, the action figure was right.) ]

It's just, you know. I was either too nosy or trying too hard to mind my own business, you know? I don't think anyone's ever made a bad impression on me. [ Kind of a part of his whole problem, actually. ]

[mellowyellow]

[If Masaomi's snort sounds a bit dry and bitter, that's because, well... He's only being escorted to the Invincible now because he'd been nosy enough to die before Sora could reach him. If Sora doesn't consider that to be a bad impression, then he's got some painfully low standards.

For now, at least, Masaomi decides to be quietly grateful and accept that charity.]

You must be a contortionist because that is a fantastic stretch, but I'll take it.

[Okay, maybe not quietly grateful.]

Let's hope that never changes.