stressweets | (frac) inbox

[ what's a proper timeline can we eat it

Over twenty four hours after they more or less ruined that teahouse, Shinobu searches for Tsukasa. She knows he likes to frequent shrines, so that's where she starts, going from one shrine to another until she arrives at the Kumou one.

She hopes a certain man red stringed to her brother isn't here. She doesn't have the patience to deal with him so soon after everything.

When she spots Tsukasa, she floats towards him, landing gently at his side. ]

Tsukasa? Did Ray look at you?

[ me, holding my fifty threads happening this week: hahaha time is an illusion

Tsukasa's been taking it easy, mostly by sleeping as a cat - if he's gotten up or transformed at all, it was purely by necessity. Today is no different; Tsukasa stirs at the sound of her voice, lifting his head and blinking. Shinobu-san...♪ ]

He did. I'll be okay. [ No worries here...!! ] Are you feeling better as well, Shinya...Shinobu-san?

Yes. All my ill effects were gone after a day. Your leg...

[ Her expression softens. His leg won't heal after a day. ]

Are you all right to talk about what we both found?

My leg'll be fine. I'm still young, after all. ♪ I'll heal.

[ he says this, but he's far past elderly when it comes to cats... at least he's a demon too. ]

And... I am. [ ara real talk shinobu probs had to read the letter to him bc he cant read periodt. ] I don't know if I can consider it a blessing or not that we didn't find the man who hurt Beau-san, though.

It's not a blessing. I wanted to confirm the identity. He injured so many people at once, and for what?

[ As far as she can tell, it was for his own gain, and that's not easily forgiven. ]

If your leg gives you any more problem, please tell me. [ She will try to ease the healing along somehow. ] But all the letters we collected are worrying.

[ he's a strong cat who insists on walking when he shouldn't... don't worry about him. ]

Prrrr... They are. [ he stretches his front paws, claws flexing. ] And those spiders were absolutely horrifying. I've never seen any that big before.

[ priorities in order here. ]

Sorry I couldn't recover more letters, Shinobu-san. I can't stand bugs. They're gross and ugly and awful.

[ She'll put his leg in a Meiji Era cone. Don't think she won't. ]

I won't tell you any stories, then.

[ Shinobu is someone who likes scary stories, ghost stories and the like filled with spiders and bugs. ]

What we managed to get our hands on is a start. [ Even if she had to suffer a migraine and going half-blind for it. ] It tells us that there's more going behind the screen that a lot of us knew.

Mmmm.

[ Way more than he thought - he turns his head, watching the shrine's grounds. Is it okay for him to be here? ...Is it really safe? ]

...Shinobu-san, [ he starts softly, ears flicking her way, ] do you think peace between humans and demons is possible? One of the letters didn't think it was, right...? I was curious about your thoughts on the matter.

[ She crouches to be more on his level, and her smile is placid. ]

I do think it's possible. I don't think it will be easy. For the entire country... i'll take some time, but I didn't think it'd be so bad that we'd be on the brink of war.

[ But apparently, she's wrong, according to this spider demon. ]

[ He purrs softly - the answer is nice to hear, even if he's a little less sure of it. ]

The Maou aren't going to magically make everyone get along either... [ They can't hold them to that. It's impossible. ] I guess nothing's saying that peace is the answer to our troubles either though, hmm? Though that is one of our bigger issues...

[ ...ah, ]

Sorry. I didn't mean to get off track. [ war and spiders, war and spiders, his head is filled with smoke ]

Peace would help. [ At the very least, it wouldn't hurt.

She shakes her head. ]

It's not off topic. It's tangential. If it's something that can be obtained, it's one less thing to worry about. Without the threat of a war, we can focus on why and how that spider demon is in the counterfeit business. What comes of selling things that mimic the Maou?

Mmmm... The Maou don't show up that often, do they? At least, I can't remember hearing about them until now. [ He'll concede he isn't the longest lived demon around either but-- ] Purrhaps it's just because they're rare? There aren't any other demons who can cry crystals, after all.

If they weren't rare, I don't think this scam could be as successful as it is.

[ Rarity can also come with lack of common knowledge. What do they know the Maou can do? ]

That people would prey on the Maou like this or on the general populace for this is awful. I can't condone any of it.

It's wrong. It's vile. It's...

[ ...a lot of other words that mean bad and terrible things. he shakes his head, slowly rolling onto his back. she may pet him if she likes. ]

Mm... [ he hesitates, staring ahead, then looks back up at her. ] Have you met any of the Maou yet, Shinobu-san?

[ She holds a hand out to him and smiles. ]

I think you can tell me if I have. Not everyone who bleeds on me makes me feel different.

[ It was quite the juxtaposition to being half-blind with a migraine. ]

[ ...ah, haha. he grabs her hand with his paws - no claws!! - and pulls it closer to rub his face against it. a sigh. ]

I was afraid that'd give me away... [ but there was no helping it. ] I'm glad it was you, though. You're kind and trustworthy... ♪

[ and lan wangji's sister.

but he doesn't cut a very gallant figure like this - he knows that - so after a few more rubs, he'll sit up properly. ears pointed forward. ]

...Mmmmhmm. I'm one of the Maou. And before you ask - [ A SIGH. ] - as of the moment, I don't really know what to do... None of us do. The gods didn't give us a list of ways to stop the world from ending or anything like that, but I can't sit by and do nothing, either. If there's something I can do to help, I want to.

[ He doesn't need a gallant figure, only a gallant heart or soul. That's what Shinobu takes into consideration more than anything else.

She can't help it, though. When he rubs his face against her one hand, she uses her other to pet him. ]

Why would I ever expect the gods to be helpful to any of us? [ She says this all lightly, but there's steel behind the look in her eyes. Her fondness of the gods does not stretch far. ] Whatever test it is they have for us, for whatever reason, would be better discarded.

Your desire to help is appreciated, Tsukasa. Thank you.

It's all I can offer. I know I'm not very useful otherwise.

[ he's not that big even transformed, he's not as powerful as some other demons, and the fact trouble sticks to him like barbs doesn't help. ]

So if there's anything, a~nything at all I can do for you... Please don't hesitate to ask. [ ah, ] I can, um... calm people. If their powers go out of control, then I'm able to get them back in line. Demons and onmyouji alike.

[ or dampen them, like in the demon parade, which i never ended up tagging for because time is a lie and i'm sweaty ]

What's useful differs for every person, but the gods chose you for a reason.

[ Even if she doesn't care for the gods, he has something others don't. That's a fact. ]

And even if they didn't, you would still matter.

[ Worth isn't determined by one thing alone, and sometimes, it doesn't even have to be one thing. ]

[ ...oh, shinobu-san... ]

Prrrr... You could've been a Maou, Shinobu-san. You're extremely kind. [ and that's what he's reasoned out connects them three: they're all kind. even if none of them really readily accept that label. ] I want to ask the gods why they chose us, to be honest, but I don't think they'd say so... Or maybe it'd be something akin to, "Well, you were the first three we saw," or something equally 'by chance'.

[ Shinobu smiles and shakes her head. ]

Who knows how the gods think? They're fickle. You have the right to know, so if kindness is why you think you're chosen, I think it's all right to go with that.

[ She is fine, not being a Maou, if she's honest. It's not that she wouldn't be willing to do what she could to help, but she would rather choose to be something than to be chosen. ]

(frac) inbox

POST INVESTIGATION

no subject

no subject

no subject

holy shit i thought i already replied to this CRIES SORRY BELLA

me waiting patiently: ara hates me huh (jk

yeah i absolutely can't stand you

:anna:

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject