[ there really isn't any helping it. kogami's gaze cuts right through him, leaving his heart pounding so hard that it aches. he'd been so attuned to the calm ferocity of those eyes focusing on him until suddenly they weren't. and now, with those innocuous words, there is a void where memory should be, where a reunion could be. the sound of his own pulse echoes in that space, unsure of what to do or where to go. being forgotten is... merciless. maybe doubly so, for someone like ryuu.
it feels selfish to turn inward. it feels selfish to supply everything from solely his own perspective. can it really be called remembrance, in that case? ryuu exhales quietly. then, willing the tension to ease from his body, he allows acceptance to smooth over his raw nerves.
that's right. starting over has never frightened him, even when it's hurt. ]
Is that so? Maybe you saw my face on a billboard somewhere? [ not here goes unsaid. ] As thanks for helping me...
Why don't I treat you to dinner? Something might jog your memory.
[ he should decline. whatever that's crackling between them isn't what usually happens for first meetings. the air is charged in ways that he barely recognises but acutely senses all the same, aware of the gulf between them that exists where a reunion should be.
ryuu looks like he's waiting for something, wanting something, and an inexplicable apology is at the tip of his tongue because for once, kogami doesn't quite understand this.
he should say no, but -- ]
I would like that.
[ -- something about ryuu captivates him the way it had in another world, in another time, but it cannot be resolved here or now, not in this space. the elevator opens on kogami's floor, and he belatedly realises. ]
[ following the draw back of the curtain and her step forward, he instinctively steps back. now the appearance seems to match the disciplined behavior, though he can't stop a flicker of worry from passing over his expression. surely, that short of a rest couldn't be enough to ease the burdens of their arrival...
but like a force of nature, he can simply avoid or he can navigate the storm. ]
Your country...? [ he frowns. ] I'm sorry you were taken from something so important.
[ such a dire thing to be separated from explains the rush, though he can't stow his concerns over her condition just yet. ]
...I'll go. I'd like to hear their reasoning too.
[ he falls into step readily, though not without mulling aloud: ]
I wonder... if they'll let us leave so easily, knowing that they were expecting us.
[OOC: Feel free to ignore this if it's been too long, happy to do something new instead!]
[She raises a gloved hand to dismiss his sympathy. It's kind of him to say as much, but he doesn't know her. He shouldn't bear the burden of her own concerns when they know so little about one another.]
[He seems sincere, though. Genuinely nice people are a rarity in her line of work, she wouldn't want him to get swept up along with Winter if her demand for answers results in hostility. Certainly she has no intention of provoking the crew into attack, but she would be a fool not to consider it a possibility. If they do, she'll make sure the young man isn't hurt.]
Likely not, if we discover that our translocation was intentional.
[Winter turns her head to look up at him as they walk side by side. He's taking this seriously, which she appreciates. It seems he's just as baffled as she is about the reasons why they were taken, especially given how different their backgrounds and personalities seem to be.]
In any case, I assume your being here is more than an idle inconvenience as well.
[Just so he doesn't think she believes her situation is more important than his own.]
[ Vane may or may not have made multiple trips up a few (quite a few) flights of stairs to bring up his own groceries, then back down to grab the gallon of milk he'd left behind and make yet another round back up.
He's a bit out of breath. It's really not a huge deal, given that he's pretty physically active, but he is feeling pretty annoyed that he's missed an elevator! ]
Uhh, no, sorry. But now that you mention there's an elevator, I'd like to find it, too!
...Hey, do you need help with that?
[ He can barely see the guy from behind those bags. ]
[ though he can't exactly see who's offering the help, ryuu is gratefully ready to hand over one of the many shopping bags he has balanced in his arms. his eyes were bigger than his carrying capacity, in this case. then again, space food left a lot to be desired, so he might've gone a bit overboard with the groceries. ]
- ahh, thanks! I'm sure there was?! I've probably gone in circles a few times, I might as well have taken the stairs...
[ a laugh as the bag exchanges hands. hello! here he is. ]
This should make looking easier. You... must be new too, right?
[ ryuu falls for it hook, line, and sinker—but gaku thinks it's going to be worth the trouble of explaining it to tenn later, because this is actually making him even more worried for ryuu. what the heck.
that said. ]
... The last place?
[ it seems like it should be an innocent comment but alarm bells are ringing inside his head. he'll wait for ryuu to open the door before he grills him on this. ]
[ it's worse than being poisoned, he's certain. he'll have to live this down at some point if he can't make a clean getaway, and those chances are slimming. his manners turn on him to bite him in the ass extra hard now that he's been called out on it. freezing, ryuu's once warm and casual mannerisms seem somewhat... stiff. (listen, there's no better word.) ]
...a-ah, that's right! Sorry for my rudeness... I'm Ryuunosuke.
[ though he did stop, he still looks about half-ready to bolt at the slightest provocation.
granted, looking at him, it seems he's been plenty provoked already. ]
[It shouldn't be surprising that someone who so easily trusted a stranger could also be held back so easily.]
[Jamil's intent was simply to use whoever in this grocery store as a disposable, quick check. Perhaps that was short-sighted. Perhaps there could be more use for someone so absolutely naive. So, the first step in that new sequence of planning was to make sure that this himbo didn't succumb to whatever compound he'd tasted (or, rather, to make sure he succumbed).]
Ryuunosuke, [he repeats back. He adjusts his shopping bag before coming over and slipping his hand firmly between Ryuu's hand and his own bag.]
You shouldn't be alone after trying something with a strong reaction. Since you were kind enough to help me try it, I'll help you carry your things back.
[Never mind the sensation of skin brushing against skin. Never mind it, 'kay?]
Sure, if you want another one! [ ryuu has two big strong arms and he is always ready to use them for good. ] Though... we should probably move out of the way before that, haha.
[ most of the locals are sort of flowing around them, their reception of obtrusive newcomers being lukewarm at best. despite that, the crowd seems even more dazzling and kaleidoscopic than normal thanks to their faceted limbs and colorful skin. he might feel dizzied by it, if not for how wholly his focus is now on eichi. pondering for another moment, he turns aside on his heel with a gesture to the street, then offers his hand. ]
Or we could do this. I don't mind if you hang onto me for a while.
[ his expression sobers somewhat. ]
I know it'd be better to rest, but... I don't feel like I'll be able to calm down for a while, you know?
[ exploring seems like the best bet, even at a slower pace. ]
After arriving as I did, I'd like as many as you could fit in. Ah, but this is quite nice, as well...
[Hug hogging aside, even if he doesn't really care who he's blocking the path of, he agrees to the hand, stepping closer to slip into both laced fingers and his free arm linked around him. Hi.]
I agree that it's impossible to rest at a time like this. There are many new sights to see, after all... And there's no saying how long we may be stuck here, so we should become used to the area. I'd like to see how music plays a part in this culture, as well.
[All at once, everything's swept up like a storm. A sudden squall like those summer rainstorms that rush over the ocean, winds whipping about and blustering the same way Sougo that turns on his heel, perhaps faster than he ever has.
Even from behind, there's no mistaking it. The way his heart flips in on itself is all the proof he needs that the broad back his eyes have fallen on could only belong to one person. And senseless though it may be, the foolish hope lit in him effortlessly engulfs everything else as those winds push him forward into a wholehearted sprint.
He should make sure that this person is actually Ryuu before stopping him. Ordinarily, anyone would. But the cautious, logical side that Sougo has carefully tempered for decades shatters like glass the moment he reaches out to grab the man's wrist, so familiar that he wants to cry.]
Tsunashi-san!
[This is Tsunashi Ryuunosuke, and no one else. He knows it for sure now. But when their gazes finally meet, Sougo's eyes widen with even more of that overwhelming emotion he couldn't begin to name. Frantic yearning, a note of fear, gratitude and hope... blended all into one as he grasps tighter with a trembling hand.]]
[ arriving here had not been unlike a storm. growing up at sea, being surrounded and raised by it, has accustomed him to life's unpredictability. respecting it has brought him a long way, but this - is another thing entirely. twice... it's twice now, that something like this is happening.
only the quick snap at his wrist stops his racing thoughts, instead replacing them with a vivid stream of manna. through synchrony, he feels that shattering, the familiar emotions that lie behind the glass.
halting, ryuu's pulse leaps as he meets sougo's gaze, expression flashing in wonder. ]
...yeah, it's me. [ his shoulders slope in relief. ] Sougo-kun.
[ never did ryuu think that a familiar face could be a source of heartache. elation too, and surely relief - but the weight of being displaced twice over is nevertheless a cruel one, no matter how many silver linings he looks for. but with no way back, there is only forward through these new waters. there's only what his own two hands are capable of.
which may not be much, but armed with a thermos and a neatly packed meal, he travels through emerald park in search of its farmlands. lucky that he happens upon a few rangers who helpfully point him in the right direction. when he arrives at the barn, he ventures: ]
[ it's not as though ryuu thought he was going to actually get away with not explaining to momo why he has such intimate familiarity with all the things at play in their newfound home. synchrony, manna... and not only those, but the very concept of being taken from home and dropped somewhere new. it feels wild even to him, despite living it once before - living it now, even.
but he's a man of his word, momo's persuasive talents aside, so when his conversations ebb, he goes about pulling on a hoodie and leaving to visit his senior. it's not a long enough trip to get worked up on, but he still finds himself...
[ it'd only crossed his mind once or twice, and fleetingly so, if he'd been too eager for this meeting after the request for it had caught him off his guard. but coming from someone like sougo, it means that much more to him to fulfill such an honest and bold-faced request. plus, it's not like there's an expectation beyond spending the evening with him, which is something ryuu is all too glad to do nowadays. time in sumarlok had passed strangely for him, at first bright and fast like lunatia had been, and then dim and dreamy from manna hibernation. normalcy like this - at least as he's come to know it with the other idol - is welcome.
so he shows up at sougo's studio at the agreed time, smile pulled at the corners of his mouth and a bag of groceries (and a bottle of wine) on his elbow. he looks nice but not overly so, casual in a way that's comfortable to him but still worn with the knowledge that somewhere, at some time tonight, a camera lens with someone he cares about behind it will find him.
honestly, there's a little fluster in his heart, a little giddiness at the thought. he rings the bell to announce himself and steps back to wait. ]
[ he's up with the sun. maybe a little before it, just to be safe - in this joint household they're all early risers, out of habit and duty both. you don't aim for the top by sleeping in, that's for certain. ryuu hasn't once forgotten, even being "away" from home for so long. if anything, it's made him more committed to his work and to TRIGGER. but today is special, and someone's earned the right to spend a little extra time in bed. ryuu is awake early enough to enforce it by getting started on breakfast before any alarms can sound. it's not what he'd usually make for any of them to get them through busy mornings, but rather an indulgent spread of sweet things: hotcakes made with cake flour, glassy fruit syrup, whipped cream, carefully cut strawberries.
it looks like something that would belong on a cute girl's social media page.
but even having tasted stardom, ryuu's love language is still domesticated and often found in the heart of wherever they happen to call home: the kitchen. he's putting on the finishing touches, intending to take his adorable breakfast masterpiece to tenn's room for his birthday, but he knows it might be a 50/50 toss up on whether or not tenn will awaken on his own to the smell of baking and sugar, the clink of silverware and quietly boiling water. ]
There...
[ he arranges the last strawberries on top of the stack of pancakes, plating everything on a tray with some coffee. now, did he make it in time to surprise him? ]
[ It was one of those nights where one unlucky event followed another, like a packed night paired with an understaffed bar. From lending a hand with serving to helping behind the bar, Alex was starting to find new ways to use her amethyst speed for the greater good. Or course, working drinks was something different, which made her grateful to have someone as patient as Ryuu showing her the ropes. He really did make it look easy, and good. ]
[ how influential the gems are isn't new to ryuu. before gems, it was moons - the moon that had held sway over his blood like the tides was not a calm and serene thing, but one of blood and magic, a lust that ran bone deep. it had taken him a long time to find armistice with the red influence that clashed with his pacific blue, but he had done it. even if it was sometimes uneasy for his gentle heart. this time, in this second home away from home, his magic aligns with who he is rather than who he'd feigned to be. a pretty blue sapphire embedded in his back reflects his real nature, one of affection and healing.
that's why when the streets of the city erupt with monstrous gembonded, ryuu's immediate thoughts are of tenn, of gaku. two people who already had fiery personalities now made even moreso by their rubies. despite his trust in them, if he left them alone like this... would something happen to them? would something happen that couldn't be taken back?
it makes the pit of his stomach ice cold.
it's enough to drive him from the emptiness of their joint apartment and out into the city proper, minding himself as he navigates the streets in search of his loved ones. he doesn't have amethyst's speed or emerald's cunning or ruby's strength. he tries everywhere that tenn or gaku might go, routes they've taken and places they've frequented. he knows that right now, they likely won't be thinking straight if their gems have a tight grasp of their instincts, but he has to start somewhere. he has to try.
it's why he finds himself at the dance studio that they frequent, unlocking the door and pushing inside and down the hall to find the practice room's lights off, the floors shiny and clean, the dormant stereo a monolith with soft, blipping lights. the mirror spans the whole room, showing him his own contemplative frown.
he doesn't plan on lingering long, but he senses - a change in the air. a heat that prickles at his skin. heel scuffing on the floor, ryuu turns to the doorway, breath jumping in his lungs. who he sees there is momentarily familiar: paleness consumed by black, the flex of leathery appendages. silver, embers. ]
[ talk about a fever pitch. ryuu almost feels as though he'd gotten used to the incandescent temperatures clutched about the city like the jaws of an animal over its prey - almost. the heat had quickly gone from summery to sweltering, more than enough to exploit his sapphire's weakness. its element was soothing water, yes, but also rigid ice, and ryuu guesses too late that the ice aspect is what's making it so hard to cope. it's been frustrating to go from sun-tolerant to easily overexerted, but that's why ryuu is somewhere familiar. though he's made a space for himself in sumarlok, the islands of marilla are like a little taste of home. blue skies, open air, white sands. the heat isn't kind even in this paradise, but ryuu makes do.
by spending nearly the whole day beneath the surface of the rolling waves, using his gem's ability to breathe underwater to escape the scorching air. he bankrupts his manna in the process, but it's a small price to pay. in comparison, the beachside cabana he'd rented was not a small price to pay, but you know.
of course, even with the use of the sapphire embedded into the small of his back, he's still only human. he can't stay submerged forever. it's only when dusk befalls the island and a breeze roves the beach that he comes up and back onto the alcove shoreline. it's no where near as temperate as he's used to, but with the sky darkening into a tropical sunset gradient, the air in turn becomes thick and balmy rather than fierce and feverish. in swim bottoms and with his shirt in hand, ryuu walks the beach for a while while he drip dries, head mostly empty of thoughts other than the breeze drifting over his skin. dense salt and speckles of sand cling to him, making him think going back into the water might actually be the better idea. waves crest at his ankles - he knows the tides are rising with the moon. he walks the short distance further to his cabana where he'd left some personal effects behind to show someone was staying there. nothing too valuable, as he'd left the curtains tied wide open to keep the place cool in his absence.
it's only when he realizes that his footprints aren't the only ones leading up to it in the sand that he blinks away some of the heat haze, gold eyes flicking upwards to pin on the source. it's not a silhouette he immediately recognizes, but on an alien planet with so many others in a predicament just like his, that's not so surprising anymore. ]
- oh... hello? [ a tentative but inoffensive enough venture - ryuu notices that the air temperature has spiked. ] Is everything okay?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
▾ tdm 001
▴ kogami @dissimilates
it feels selfish to turn inward. it feels selfish to supply everything from solely his own perspective. can it really be called remembrance, in that case? ryuu exhales quietly. then, willing the tension to ease from his body, he allows acceptance to smooth over his raw nerves.
that's right. starting over has never frightened him, even when it's hurt. ]
Is that so? Maybe you saw my face on a billboard somewhere? [ not here goes unsaid. ] As thanks for helping me...
Why don't I treat you to dinner? Something might jog your memory.
[ and they can go from there. ]
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ryuu looks like he's waiting for something, wanting something, and an inexplicable apology is at the tip of his tongue because for once, kogami doesn't quite understand this.
he should say no, but -- ]
I would like that.
[ -- something about ryuu captivates him the way it had in another world, in another time, but it cannot be resolved here or now, not in this space. the elevator opens on kogami's floor, and he belatedly realises. ]
Ah, you're staying near me.
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▴ winter @specialist-snowflake
but like a force of nature, he can simply avoid or he can navigate the storm. ]
Your country...? [ he frowns. ] I'm sorry you were taken from something so important.
[ such a dire thing to be separated from explains the rush, though he can't stow his concerns over her condition just yet. ]
...I'll go. I'd like to hear their reasoning too.
[ he falls into step readily, though not without mulling aloud: ]
I wonder... if they'll let us leave so easily, knowing that they were expecting us.
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[She raises a gloved hand to dismiss his sympathy. It's kind of him to say as much, but he doesn't know her. He shouldn't bear the burden of her own concerns when they know so little about one another.]
[He seems sincere, though. Genuinely nice people are a rarity in her line of work, she wouldn't want him to get swept up along with Winter if her demand for answers results in hostility. Certainly she has no intention of provoking the crew into attack, but she would be a fool not to consider it a possibility. If they do, she'll make sure the young man isn't hurt.]
Likely not, if we discover that our translocation was intentional.
[Winter turns her head to look up at him as they walk side by side. He's taking this seriously, which she appreciates. It seems he's just as baffled as she is about the reasons why they were taken, especially given how different their backgrounds and personalities seem to be.]
In any case, I assume your being here is more than an idle inconvenience as well.
[Just so he doesn't think she believes her situation is more important than his own.]
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all that glitters
[ Vane may or may not have made multiple trips up a few (quite a few) flights of stairs to bring up his own groceries, then back down to grab the gallon of milk he'd left behind and make yet another round back up.
He's a bit out of breath. It's really not a huge deal, given that he's pretty physically active, but he is feeling pretty annoyed that he's missed an elevator! ]
Uhh, no, sorry. But now that you mention there's an elevator, I'd like to find it, too!
...Hey, do you need help with that?
[ He can barely see the guy from behind those bags. ]
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- ahh, thanks! I'm sure there was?! I've probably gone in circles a few times, I might as well have taken the stairs...
[ a laugh as the bag exchanges hands. hello! here he is. ]
This should make looking easier. You... must be new too, right?
[ one would think. ]
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▴ gaku @gakupon
Thanks, Gaku! It would be pretty troublesome if this happened for a while every time I had to step out for something, haha...
[ have fun explaining to tenn later. but onward! perusing the doorways that all look pretty much identical to one another, he hums. ]
We'll find it, we'll find it! In fact, I think it's this one...?
[ #1098, seems legit. ]
The last place I stayed definitely wasn't this big. Or busy, actually.
[ sus. ]
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that said. ]
... The last place?
[ it seems like it should be an innocent comment but alarm bells are ringing inside his head. he'll wait for ryuu to open the door before he grills him on this. ]
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▴ jamil @nurseaviper
...a-ah, that's right! Sorry for my rudeness... I'm Ryuunosuke.
[ though he did stop, he still looks about half-ready to bolt at the slightest provocation.
granted, looking at him, it seems he's been plenty provoked already. ]
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[Jamil's intent was simply to use whoever in this grocery store as a disposable, quick check. Perhaps that was short-sighted. Perhaps there could be more use for someone so absolutely naive. So, the first step in that new sequence of planning was to make sure that this himbo didn't succumb to whatever compound he'd tasted (or, rather, to make sure he succumbed).]
Ryuunosuke, [he repeats back. He adjusts his shopping bag before coming over and slipping his hand firmly between Ryuu's hand and his own bag.]
You shouldn't be alone after trying something with a strong reaction. Since you were kind enough to help me try it, I'll help you carry your things back.
[Never mind the sensation of skin brushing against skin. Never mind it, 'kay?]
... ah, right, and my own name. Jamil.
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▴ eichi @glorification
Sure, if you want another one! [ ryuu has two big strong arms and he is always ready to use them for good. ] Though... we should probably move out of the way before that, haha.
[ most of the locals are sort of flowing around them, their reception of obtrusive newcomers being lukewarm at best. despite that, the crowd seems even more dazzling and kaleidoscopic than normal thanks to their faceted limbs and colorful skin. he might feel dizzied by it, if not for how wholly his focus is now on eichi. pondering for another moment, he turns aside on his heel with a gesture to the street, then offers his hand. ]
Or we could do this. I don't mind if you hang onto me for a while.
[ his expression sobers somewhat. ]
I know it'd be better to rest, but... I don't feel like I'll be able to calm down for a while, you know?
[ exploring seems like the best bet, even at a slower pace. ]
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[Hug hogging aside, even if he doesn't really care who he's blocking the path of, he agrees to the hand, stepping closer to slip into both laced fingers and his free arm linked around him. Hi.]
I agree that it's impossible to rest at a time like this. There are many new sights to see, after all... And there's no saying how long we may be stuck here, so we should become used to the area. I'd like to see how music plays a part in this culture, as well.
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Half-wildcard, kind of? Leave me here.
Even from behind, there's no mistaking it. The way his heart flips in on itself is all the proof he needs that the broad back his eyes have fallen on could only belong to one person. And senseless though it may be, the foolish hope lit in him effortlessly engulfs everything else as those winds push him forward into a wholehearted sprint.
He should make sure that this person is actually Ryuu before stopping him. Ordinarily, anyone would. But the cautious, logical side that Sougo has carefully tempered for decades shatters like glass the moment he reaches out to grab the man's wrist, so familiar that he wants to cry.]
Tsunashi-san!
[This is Tsunashi Ryuunosuke, and no one else. He knows it for sure now. But when their gazes finally meet, Sougo's eyes widen with even more of that overwhelming emotion he couldn't begin to name. Frantic yearning, a note of fear, gratitude and hope... blended all into one as he grasps tighter with a trembling hand.]]
Tsunashi... san...
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only the quick snap at his wrist stops his racing thoughts, instead replacing them with a vivid stream of manna. through synchrony, he feels that shattering, the familiar emotions that lie behind the glass.
halting, ryuu's pulse leaps as he meets sougo's gaze, expression flashing in wonder. ]
...yeah, it's me. [ his shoulders slope in relief. ] Sougo-kun.
[ and what follows is not why? or how? but - ]
Thank goodness...
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▾ feb 2021, network mingle
▴ konoha
which may not be much, but armed with a thermos and a neatly packed meal, he travels through emerald park in search of its farmlands. lucky that he happens upon a few rangers who helpfully point him in the right direction. when he arrives at the barn, he ventures: ]
Konoha? It's me.
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▴ momo
but he's a man of his word, momo's persuasive talents aside, so when his conversations ebb, he goes about pulling on a hoodie and leaving to visit his senior. it's not a long enough trip to get worked up on, but he still finds himself...
nervous. ]
Momo-san? [ he knocks twice. ] I'm here!
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▾ july 2021
▴ sougo
so he shows up at sougo's studio at the agreed time, smile pulled at the corners of his mouth and a bag of groceries (and a bottle of wine) on his elbow. he looks nice but not overly so, casual in a way that's comfortable to him but still worn with the knowledge that somewhere, at some time tonight, a camera lens with someone he cares about behind it will find him.
honestly, there's a little fluster in his heart, a little giddiness at the thought. he rings the bell to announce himself and steps back to wait. ]
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▴ tenn
it looks like something that would belong on a cute girl's social media page.
but even having tasted stardom, ryuu's love language is still domesticated and often found in the heart of wherever they happen to call home: the kitchen. he's putting on the finishing touches, intending to take his adorable breakfast masterpiece to tenn's room for his birthday, but he knows it might be a 50/50 toss up on whether or not tenn will awaken on his own to the smell of baking and sugar, the clink of silverware and quietly boiling water. ]
There...
[ he arranges the last strawberries on top of the stack of pancakes, plating everything on a tray with some coffee. now, did he make it in time to surprise him? ]
surprise
heart eyes
i am smitten
guess who else is smitten
:3c is it you
it is me (and him)
<333
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Ruby Underground: Early July
I think things might actually be settling now.
[ A hopeful statement, but famous last words. ]
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▾ august 2021
▴ nier
that's why when the streets of the city erupt with monstrous gembonded, ryuu's immediate thoughts are of tenn, of gaku. two people who already had fiery personalities now made even moreso by their rubies. despite his trust in them, if he left them alone like this... would something happen to them? would something happen that couldn't be taken back?
it makes the pit of his stomach ice cold.
it's enough to drive him from the emptiness of their joint apartment and out into the city proper, minding himself as he navigates the streets in search of his loved ones. he doesn't have amethyst's speed or emerald's cunning or ruby's strength. he tries everywhere that tenn or gaku might go, routes they've taken and places they've frequented. he knows that right now, they likely won't be thinking straight if their gems have a tight grasp of their instincts, but he has to start somewhere. he has to try.
it's why he finds himself at the dance studio that they frequent, unlocking the door and pushing inside and down the hall to find the practice room's lights off, the floors shiny and clean, the dormant stereo a monolith with soft, blipping lights. the mirror spans the whole room, showing him his own contemplative frown.
he doesn't plan on lingering long, but he senses - a change in the air. a heat that prickles at his skin. heel scuffing on the floor, ryuu turns to the doorway, breath jumping in his lungs. who he sees there is momentarily familiar: paleness consumed by black, the flex of leathery appendages. silver, embers. ]
Gaku...?
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▴ childe (event)
by spending nearly the whole day beneath the surface of the rolling waves, using his gem's ability to breathe underwater to escape the scorching air. he bankrupts his manna in the process, but it's a small price to pay. in comparison, the beachside cabana he'd rented was not a small price to pay, but you know.
of course, even with the use of the sapphire embedded into the small of his back, he's still only human. he can't stay submerged forever. it's only when dusk befalls the island and a breeze roves the beach that he comes up and back onto the alcove shoreline. it's no where near as temperate as he's used to, but with the sky darkening into a tropical sunset gradient, the air in turn becomes thick and balmy rather than fierce and feverish. in swim bottoms and with his shirt in hand, ryuu walks the beach for a while while he drip dries, head mostly empty of thoughts other than the breeze drifting over his skin. dense salt and speckles of sand cling to him, making him think going back into the water might actually be the better idea. waves crest at his ankles - he knows the tides are rising with the moon. he walks the short distance further to his cabana where he'd left some personal effects behind to show someone was staying there. nothing too valuable, as he'd left the curtains tied wide open to keep the place cool in his absence.
it's only when he realizes that his footprints aren't the only ones leading up to it in the sand that he blinks away some of the heat haze, gold eyes flicking upwards to pin on the source. it's not a silhouette he immediately recognizes, but on an alien planet with so many others in a predicament just like his, that's not so surprising anymore. ]
- oh... hello? [ a tentative but inoffensive enough venture - ryuu notices that the air temperature has spiked. ] Is everything okay?
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sorry for the delay! moving woes
Hee no worries, worth the wait. ♥