[Sagi's awkwardness doesn't evaporate when squeezed, but he doesn't resist. He opens his eyes, blinking, only when Hythlo lets go. Right. Back down to earth.
His relief at Hythlo's mood improving again shows in the slightly lopsided smile he manages to muster. He isn't sure what to say after all that, of course.]
You too.
[That'll do.
Moments pass. A light breeze carries the distant sound of rustling trash, reminding Sagi of the little cat creature. Taking a step back - a step back with just a touch more weight than necessary - he leans to one side and peers down the alleyway, around and past Hythlo's enormous frame. Is it still there?]
[Hythlo looks back over his shoulder as well, wondering what Sagi could be looking at - he got shaken enough that he all but forgot about the strange catlike thing that Sagi showed up with.
The Espurr... is flopped down, its stubby legs stretched out in front of it, staring at the wall of the alley. Looks like it tried to give them some privacy at least!
But as they look at it, Espurr slowly turns to stare at them instead. It stares for several moments. It stands up, still staring, and waddles over to the two of them. Standing between them, it puts one paw on Sagi's ankle, the other on Hythlo's shoe. What does it mean? Nobody knows.
Hythlo stares at the little thing. Leans closer, as though squinting through his mask. Leans back again.]
[Espurr bumps its head against Sagi's hand. Their meeting might have started out strange, what with its screaming, but it seems to be quite affectionate otherwise!
Hythlo, meanwhile, gently pokes at the thing's weird ears, earning a meep from the Pokemon.]
It is... very powerful, I think. Akin to a black hole...
[Gee, Hythlo, what a nice thing to say about someone's brain.]
Er... What happened? I was not in the state to... notice much, if aught at all.
[Putting it like that... he winces, runs a hand down his face. He really needs to learn to have breakdowns and deal with trauma on his own, like normal people.]
By all of creation, I really am sorry. It was... no, I do not think "rude" does it justice. But whatsoever one calls it, it was wrong of me to subject you to that, and I wish to apologize.
[At least he's actually in control this time, without lapsing into overdramatic self-pity. There's annoyance at himself in his voice, but so is the readiness to make up for his blunder.]
You don't have to, I mean it. When I found out, I reacted about the same.
[He doesn't mean to sound flippant so much as mildly self-deprecating. Once someone isn't actively breaking down in front of him, the whole afterling business reverts into just another of those facts of life. Sometimes he even stops thinking about it.
He fluffs the fur on the Espurr's head some more. It's very soft for something he found in a dumpster.]
I just found it on the street, acting like it wanted to lead me here. It might have picked up on... [He gestures vaguely with his other hand.] whatever it is that decides on a whim to give us back our things. Who knows.
[Hythlo might worry a bit otherwise, but it seems like Sagi's words are genuine, not faked to cheer him up. And it is probably best to concentrate on more... normal things. Like weird cats and powers being given back mysteriously.]
... Have you regained something as well? 'Tis the first time for me...
[He sighs, clearly apprehensive.]
Perhaps I ought to hope I do not get anything else back. The process was rather unpleasant.
When we all first arrived, I couldn't use my wings like normal. Then a few days later, I woke up and they were fine again. Honestly, I thought it was stress. [He doesn't realise that part might not be self-explanatory.] It just turned into a pattern with other people later.
[He keeps petting the Espurr while he thinks on it for a moment. He could use the change of topic, too.]
What if it hit you worse because there's more of you to hit?
[...He doesn't sound or look like he's joking. He isn't joking. He is slightly worried by the thought.]
[The Espurr tilts its head up, purring louder... but not closing its eyes, just kind of staring upwards. This is a really weird cat.
Hythlo opens his mouth again to say that surely, there are normal people within their group--but then he thinks back on those he's actually met. Rhel, Hien, Sagi... Hythlo himself...]
I think... master Atsushi and Toki are not very different from people here, are they?
[He shakes his head, then thoughtfully pats his own arm.]
Perhaps 'tis not so much my stature as the... composition of my being. It may be different from others... but I've no way to check.
[Sagi is hesitant to bring that up again, since it really does feel pushy. That said, he's more invested in what Hythlo's "sight" means than he is the idea of Toki being normal in any context, anywhere.]
[Hythlo shakes his head, a little embarrassed, but on his side it comes from the fact that Sagi probably does not want to hear more about it, and yet Hythlo managed to bring it up.]
Ah, not as such. Only bits and pieces! 'Tis like how someone cannot see themselves in full without a mirror, and... I doubt anything like that could exist in this world. A mirror that could manifest souls, I mean to say.
[Espurr, meanwhile, leans back so much that it flops over and onto Hythlo's shoe, but does not seem dispirited in the least: it stands up, climbs onto the shoe and then seeks further ascension possibilities in form of his knees, sleeves, and eventually shoulder. Hythlo only watches it, bemused, and tries not to move too much until the cat completes its scaling of Mount Hythlo and manages to perch on his head.]
[There's a chance that the little cat will drop away from Sagi's hand and then derail that train of thought by being incredibly cute, yes. He can't complain. His smile is brighter for watching it.]
[Hythlo rubs his face. It feels like a lifetime ago.]
Yes... Before it happened. A child came up to me, and... told me that if I change my perception, reality changes as well... And after he walked away, I got hit with that... thing. The process before regaining my powers.
[He gestures helplessly. This is not the most eloquent speech he's ever given, but look, he's freaking out a little thinking about what the hell that toddler might have been.]
[See, this sounds more like a prank or coincidence. Sagi still isn't going to rule it out as totally unrelated to legendary Pokemon and whatnot; they just don't know enough about them. Maybe some of them can disguise themselves.]
For me, when my wings stopped feeling weak, it was basically overnight. I assumed it was the same for everyone... But we aren't that tight-knit of a group, I suppose. Could be worth asking whether it's happened to anyone else.
Weirdly enough, Hythlo is a lot more likely to believe into a mysterious toddler than he is in his sickness being caused by being too tall. What goes on in his brain, we may never know.
He does stare at the wings again, though, and now that the atmosphere is more relaxed, he feels like he can probably ask.]
... May I ask you to tell me about your wings? I thought them corporeal at first, but they do not... appear to be such. A magick of some sort?
Sagi gets back to his feet now that the Espurr has decided he likes Hythlo better. It could be worse, since Hythlo is still kneeling, but he's certainly more concerned about hurting his neck than he is about the question. That's not to say it ever gets less surreal to answer, only that by now he figures he's eventually going to have to explain the wings at least once for every addition to their group, knowing most of them don't mean anything bad by it.]
Kind of? Animals have wings of the body, humans have wings of the heart. Magic comes from the heart too, so they're related. Back in the age of the gods, people's wings and magic were a lot stronger... In the future, some people think we won't need either any more, and they'll disappear.
[He still wonders whether or not that happened in this world too, dropped from the annals of history somehow - whether his idea of normal means he's a relic or just a freak. The amount of technology they have would mostly line up if it did.]
But I couldn't tell you what the link is. I'm really not a scientist.
[Meanwhile Hythlo is surprised at Sagi's consistent usage of the singular... oh well, Sagi is just a baby. He doesn't need to concern himself with language overmuch. Hythlo does quite like the explanation, though. He smiles.]
I see... That sounds wonderful. Your world must be home to many a beautiful sight, then. I am no... scientist, either, but I have been to the Akaedemia, so if I were to put it in the words of my world... The heart--the soul--is a concentration of energy, aether, so much of it that it transcends the simple laws of creation and operates on others that we cannot yet identify. In your world, then, this energy found two ways of manifesting: your magicks and your wings of the heart. Perhaps there is a reason as to why it came to be so... but I could not name it without visiting your world.
[He chuckles, a little apologetic. He knows he got kind of rambly, but he did always enjoy research and speculation.
[Most of that goes way over Sagi's head, but he's glad Hythlo seemed to follow what he said.]
Big and bright like they had in ancient times, probably. Unless...
[He trails off. He falls silent. He stays silent for a good few seconds.]
...Pffft.
[There's something childlike about that brief snort of laughter. He is so sorry. He can't help himself. The mental image... someone of Hythlo's stature, taking off from the ground on normal-sized flapping wings that barely reach his elbows... Oh no. It's more than he can handle after handling everything else just now.]
[Hythlo just looks at him inquisitively while Sagi stays silent... only to break into a smile when he laughs. He doesn't actually know what it is Sagi thought of that's so funny, but it's good to see the boy laughing... and Hythlo definitely wants in on it too.]
Oh? Unless what?
[There's an impish tone to his voice--also not that far off from a young boy messing around with his friends.]
[Oh noooo. Why didn't he think before answering that? He looks away, trying to cover his smile with one hand. As unto a metaphor for his life, his success is limited.]
Sorry, it... it's not that funny. I think yours would be nice.
[He doesn't even know why it entered his brain in the first place, it was that sudden. He feels almost light-headed.]
Th, that would... I mean, it... happens sometimes...
[He is beginning to match his bright red hoodie in colour. Also, his voice is getting squeakier, both from embarrassment and from his efforts to not lose his shit despite it. Escaped lab experiment nothing, being sixteen years old is very hard sometimes.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2020-10-11 02:34 pm (UTC)His relief at Hythlo's mood improving again shows in the slightly lopsided smile he manages to muster. He isn't sure what to say after all that, of course.]
You too.
[That'll do.
Moments pass. A light breeze carries the distant sound of rustling trash, reminding Sagi of the little cat creature. Taking a step back - a step back with just a touch more weight than necessary - he leans to one side and peers down the alleyway, around and past Hythlo's enormous frame. Is it still there?]
no subject
Date: 2020-10-11 02:54 pm (UTC)The Espurr... is flopped down, its stubby legs stretched out in front of it, staring at the wall of the alley. Looks like it tried to give them some privacy at least!
But as they look at it, Espurr slowly turns to stare at them instead. It stares for several moments. It stands up, still staring, and waddles over to the two of them. Standing between them, it puts one paw on Sagi's ankle, the other on Hythlo's shoe. What does it mean? Nobody knows.
Hythlo stares at the little thing. Leans closer, as though squinting through his mask. Leans back again.]
... I've no idea what I am looking at, here.
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Date: 2020-10-11 03:21 pm (UTC)[He kneels down to try and pet it anyway, since it's standing so close. It comes a lot more easily to him than hugs.]
But I think it really was worried for you.
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Date: 2020-10-11 03:33 pm (UTC)Hythlo, meanwhile, gently pokes at the thing's weird ears, earning a meep from the Pokemon.]
It is... very powerful, I think. Akin to a black hole...
[Gee, Hythlo, what a nice thing to say about someone's brain.]
Er... What happened? I was not in the state to... notice much, if aught at all.
[Putting it like that... he winces, runs a hand down his face. He really needs to learn to have breakdowns and deal with trauma on his own, like normal people.]
By all of creation, I really am sorry. It was... no, I do not think "rude" does it justice. But whatsoever one calls it, it was wrong of me to subject you to that, and I wish to apologize.
[At least he's actually in control this time, without lapsing into overdramatic self-pity. There's annoyance at himself in his voice, but so is the readiness to make up for his blunder.]
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Date: 2020-10-11 06:20 pm (UTC)[He doesn't mean to sound flippant so much as mildly self-deprecating. Once someone isn't actively breaking down in front of him, the whole afterling business reverts into just another of those facts of life. Sometimes he even stops thinking about it.
He fluffs the fur on the Espurr's head some more. It's very soft for something he found in a dumpster.]
I just found it on the street, acting like it wanted to lead me here. It might have picked up on... [He gestures vaguely with his other hand.] whatever it is that decides on a whim to give us back our things. Who knows.
[Like people, sometimes animals are just weird.]
no subject
Date: 2020-10-12 12:40 am (UTC)... Have you regained something as well? 'Tis the first time for me...
[He sighs, clearly apprehensive.]
Perhaps I ought to hope I do not get anything else back. The process was rather unpleasant.
[Espurr... purrs under Sagi's hand. Gib pets.]
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Date: 2020-10-12 06:20 am (UTC)[He keeps petting the Espurr while he thinks on it for a moment. He could use the change of topic, too.]
What if it hit you worse because there's more of you to hit?
[...He doesn't sound or look like he's joking. He isn't joking. He is slightly worried by the thought.]
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Date: 2020-10-12 06:43 am (UTC)Hythlo opens his mouth. Hythlo closes his mouth. Raises a finger, opens his mouth again. Closes it.]
... Do you think so? I suppose I am... somewhat different to others here...
[Espurr tilts its head, because now it needs pets in a different area. Otherwise, it might start getting bitey, because it's still a cat.]
no subject
Date: 2020-10-12 07:00 am (UTC)[Under the chin? He'll try under the chin. Rock cats usually like that when they aren't just scared of people, he thinks.]
It might not be that. We don't have a lot to go on.
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Date: 2020-10-12 07:07 am (UTC)Hythlo opens his mouth again to say that surely, there are normal people within their group--but then he thinks back on those he's actually met. Rhel, Hien, Sagi... Hythlo himself...]
I think... master Atsushi and Toki are not very different from people here, are they?
[He shakes his head, then thoughtfully pats his own arm.]
Perhaps 'tis not so much my stature as the... composition of my being. It may be different from others... but I've no way to check.
no subject
Date: 2020-10-12 07:24 am (UTC)[Sagi is hesitant to bring that up again, since it really does feel pushy. That said, he's more invested in what Hythlo's "sight" means than he is the idea of Toki being normal in any context, anywhere.]
very rude to toki
Date: 2020-10-12 07:41 am (UTC)Ah, not as such. Only bits and pieces! 'Tis like how someone cannot see themselves in full without a mirror, and... I doubt anything like that could exist in this world. A mirror that could manifest souls, I mean to say.
[Espurr, meanwhile, leans back so much that it flops over and onto Hythlo's shoe, but does not seem dispirited in the least: it stands up, climbs onto the shoe and then seeks further ascension possibilities in form of his knees, sleeves, and eventually shoulder. Hythlo only watches it, bemused, and tries not to move too much until the cat completes its scaling of Mount Hythlo and manages to perch on his head.]
Er... What a peculiar little fellow.
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Date: 2020-10-12 07:58 am (UTC)[There's a chance that the little cat will drop away from Sagi's hand and then derail that train of thought by being incredibly cute, yes. He can't complain. His smile is brighter for watching it.]
Aw, it likes you.
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Date: 2020-10-12 08:25 am (UTC)I rather like him too. I've no idea why he would pick me, though. You said he led you to me?
[He suddenly freezes, as though something occurs to him.]
... There was a child.
no subject
Date: 2020-10-12 08:28 am (UTC)A child? Other than this guy?
[Curiouser and curiouser.]
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Date: 2020-10-12 08:41 am (UTC)Yes... Before it happened. A child came up to me, and... told me that if I change my perception, reality changes as well... And after he walked away, I got hit with that... thing. The process before regaining my powers.
[He gestures helplessly. This is not the most eloquent speech he's ever given, but look, he's freaking out a little thinking about what the hell that toddler might have been.]
no subject
Date: 2020-10-12 09:05 am (UTC)For me, when my wings stopped feeling weak, it was basically overnight. I assumed it was the same for everyone... But we aren't that tight-knit of a group, I suppose. Could be worth asking whether it's happened to anyone else.
[Wings again.]
no subject
Date: 2020-10-12 09:11 am (UTC)but what if it's RUDE to ASKWeirdly enough, Hythlo is a lot more likely to believe into a mysterious toddler than he is in his sickness being caused by being too tall. What goes on in his brain, we may never know.
He does stare at the wings again, though, and now that the atmosphere is more relaxed, he feels like he can probably ask.]
... May I ask you to tell me about your wings? I thought them corporeal at first, but they do not... appear to be such. A magick of some sort?
no subject
Date: 2020-10-12 10:42 am (UTC)Sagi gets back to his feet now that the Espurr has decided he likes Hythlo better. It could be worse, since Hythlo is still kneeling, but he's certainly more concerned about hurting his neck than he is about the question. That's not to say it ever gets less surreal to answer, only that by now he figures he's eventually going to have to explain the wings at least once for every addition to their group, knowing most of them don't mean anything bad by it.]
Kind of? Animals have wings of the body, humans have wings of the heart. Magic comes from the heart too, so they're related. Back in the age of the gods, people's wings and magic were a lot stronger... In the future, some people think we won't need either any more, and they'll disappear.
[He still wonders whether or not that happened in this world too, dropped from the annals of history somehow - whether his idea of normal means he's a relic or just a freak. The amount of technology they have would mostly line up if it did.]
But I couldn't tell you what the link is. I'm really not a scientist.
[He got cut up by them. It isn't quite the same.]
no subject
Date: 2020-10-12 02:37 pm (UTC)I see... That sounds wonderful. Your world must be home to many a beautiful sight, then. I am no... scientist, either, but I have been to the Akaedemia, so if I were to put it in the words of my world... The heart--the soul--is a concentration of energy, aether, so much of it that it transcends the simple laws of creation and operates on others that we cannot yet identify. In your world, then, this energy found two ways of manifesting: your magicks and your wings of the heart. Perhaps there is a reason as to why it came to be so... but I could not name it without visiting your world.
[He chuckles, a little apologetic. He knows he got kind of rambly, but he did always enjoy research and speculation.
... Speaking of.]
I wonder what kind of wings I would have.
no subject
Date: 2020-10-12 04:01 pm (UTC)Big and bright like they had in ancient times, probably. Unless...
[He trails off. He falls silent. He stays silent for a good few seconds.]
...Pffft.
[There's something childlike about that brief snort of laughter. He is so sorry. He can't help himself. The mental image... someone of Hythlo's stature, taking off from the ground on normal-sized flapping wings that barely reach his elbows... Oh no. It's more than he can handle after handling everything else just now.]
no subject
Date: 2020-10-12 04:05 pm (UTC)Oh? Unless what?
[There's an impish tone to his voice--also not that far off from a young boy messing around with his friends.]
no subject
Date: 2020-10-12 04:29 pm (UTC)[Oh noooo. Why didn't he think before answering that? He looks away, trying to cover his smile with one hand. As unto a metaphor for his life, his success is limited.]
Sorry, it... it's not that funny. I think yours would be nice.
[He doesn't even know why it entered his brain in the first place, it was that sudden. He feels almost light-headed.]
no subject
Date: 2020-10-13 03:35 am (UTC)Oh, or perhaps they would not reach up far enough, and I would have wings on the small of my back. And they'd be too small.
no subject
Date: 2020-10-13 06:17 am (UTC)[He is beginning to match his bright red hoodie in colour. Also, his voice is getting squeakier, both from embarrassment and from his efforts to not lose his shit despite it. Escaped lab experiment nothing, being sixteen years old is very hard sometimes.]
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