Inbox;

[flaredo]

"Heeey, you've reached Yang! Well, actually, you didn't reach far enough, 'cause I'm not here right now! But don't yang up! Just leave a message on this baby, and I'll get back to you soon enough, okay?"

[ Please specify VOICEMAIL, TEXT or CALL. ]

Comments

[flaredo]

[ Yang's already darting to cover his back, stumbling only slightly when one elf latches onto her leg.

But it then gets a faceful of Dust-powered EXPLOSIVE FURY and she's snapping her leg forward to fling it into the next one charging at Naoki. ]

Hang in there, we're almost done!!

[masakados]

Got it; don't worry about me. [Naoki calls to her as his wounds slowly begin to knit together, but slowly. Belated, the pain strikes at him, but it goes ignored again.

He gathers wind this time, firing it at the two--carrying them that extra distance into a nearby column with a crunching thud.]

[flaredo]

Comes with the territory! [ She calls back; but then she's charging ahead again, hair blazing brighter than ever. Well, only about two more left. They've got this. ]

[masakados]

[Naoki follows the bright glow of her hair-- and he fixes on the one closer to him, posture lowering and his fingers spreading apart. He catches it by the face, dragging its body over the ground as it attempts to fix teeth into his palm.

In retaliation, he gives it a game slam against the ground and those teeth loosen. It's strange fighting such small enemies, something he hasn't had to do for a long time and the elf kicks and claws at him, only to get a toss up in the air.

He's reeling back his arm and it's kind of like a kid playing baseball, except the baseball is a really angry, toothy elf monster--]

[flaredo]

I'm open!!

[ From further ahead, and-- Yang, are you playing baseball or basketball, this is not the time to be cracking jokes-- ]

[masakados]

Then, heads up--

[He slams his fist into the elf (which makes a very unhappy shrill, shriek-like noise) and it's launched through the air toward her.]

[flaredo]

[ Don't worry elf, you're flying back in Naoki's direction.

And, thanks to Yang's slam of a punch, you're probably also burned. ]

[masakados]

[It'll be a lot worse than burned once it gets back to Naoki-- Given that he's waiting with handfuls of fire to finish it off, swatting it upward in a flaming ball.

It ricochets off the ceiling, and Naoki dusts off his hands as it thuds off somewhere in a higher level.]

[flaredo]

[ Yang lets out a low whistle, shielding her eyes to peer up. ]

Not bad at all!

[masakados]

I had a good pitch.

[Naoki walks over to her, the teeth marks on his hand still healing, the ones on his chest in the last stretches of it.]

[flaredo]

My aim's pretty good, I know. [ Just like her modesty-- but she's reaching out to examine his hand. She's got a few deeper marks on one leg, scratches on the bare parts of her arms... but hey, no major harm. ]

[masakados]

[Naoki lifts his hand slightly-- it's healing even as they look at it, skin slowly coming back together. Kind of odd to look at it, perhaps.]

They weren't that tough in the end, huh? [He moves to touch her arm with his other hand... yes, of course he's healing her.]

[flaredo]

Not really... but I can see how a group of them against one person could be a pain.

... And I'm fine.

[ NAOKI PLS. ]

[masakados]

You definitely are now.

[With a quirk of his lips into a little smile as he brushes his palm down her arm before moving to step back.]

[flaredo]

[ She lifts an eyebrow at him with a disbelieving little snort-- before her expression turns more solemn. ]

So, do we have time to talk about what's got you down?

[masakados]

[His smile dims down again, and Naoki's silent-- but he's reaching out, trying to sense if anything is incoming. He doesn't feel anything close, so he nods after a minute.]

Let's go over here.

[Toward an area between stores, which'll make sure nothing can come creeping up on them from the shadows.]

[flaredo]

[ That's fine; she'll start walking over there, steps easy. If anything jumps them, though-- ]

[masakados]

[Nothing better jump them if it knows what's good for them...

Naoki follows along beside her, shifting to place his back against the wall when they get there and sinking down slightly. One hand raises to his face, rubbing his palm over it.]

I... thought I saw someone out there, in the snow. From my world.

[flaredo]

[ You too, she thinks-- not quite surprised, but still very much concerned. So she moves to line their shoulders together, head tilted. ]

Someone important?

[masakados]

[Naoki leans his weight slightly sideways, until their shoulders press, as he draws his fingers from his face. A small motion of his head, a nod.] Yeah, Futomimi--

[And he'd mentioned him before but, after a small pause (it feels so fresh, the memories, even though it's been months now, just because of what he saw out there):]

A... well, it was kind of hard to make friends in the Vortex World, but he was one of the closest I got. [You know, and who wasn't planning on turning around and sacrificing him.] He had this ability to see into the near future, so he gave me prophecies sometimes, to help me.

[flaredo]

Wow... [ And she nods, understanding. ] He sounds like a nice guy.

[ "Was", though... actually, hadn't she heard that name before? ]

[masakados]

He was. I really wanted to help him.

[He'd wanted to help many of them, but.] He was the leader of this group of people, Manikins... Demons would take magatsuhi from them or just treat them awfully, so he wanted to find a way for them to live peacefully.

But Chiaki-- killed all of them. And Futomimi. I was right... right there, but she had these demons fight me while... [Well.] ...I thought he was really out there. But it wasn't real, right...?

He wouldn't have called everything I tried to do worthless.

[Even though Naoki's saying that, trying to say it and believe in it, he looks shaken. The memories hurt. Even if he's trying not to blame himself for them and everything that happened, they're painful, the reminder of all the things that he couldn't do.

Hearing it in the voice of someone who he held in high esteem and couldn't save, even if it was just a trick by CERES or something... he...]

[flaredo]

[ There's no pause after he finishes speaking. As his words trail off, Yang instantly reaches out to grab his hand, her fingers tightly curling around his.

She'd known instantly that it couldn't have been her father calling her worthless, for the reckless things she'd done as a kid, for almost getting herself and Ruby killed, for still not knowing her reason for becoming a Huntress. But it had hurt, all the same, and Naoki still carries guilt and self-doubt within him-- one look at him confirms as much. Preying on that, hurting him--

Unforgivable. ]

Nothing you did was worthless. Absolutely nothing.

[masakados]

[Naoki's fingers twitch before they respond, curling back with hers, seeking the comfort of her touch. Some part of him still hates that he can't stop himself from these bad feelings (his mind doesn't let him consider that he has begun to get better about it).

His body slumps sideways, his head lowering toward her shoulder, the soft sound he makes thankful.] Mm...

I already know what some of them thought about me. But some of the others... like Futomimi... if they ever came here, I don't know what I'd say to them. Or what they'd say to me.

[And he thinks about the reaction, what it could be, at his inability to act. Or perhaps they wouldn't blame him at all. He doesn't know.]

[flaredo]

I can't really tell you, one way or another. Maybe there's a chance that what they'd say would hurt you.

[ Yang sighs, hand still firmly grasping his as she lightly touches their heads together. ]

But I'm sure he knew you wanted to help him. There's no way you wouldn't have shown it. And there's no way I'd let anyone else say otherwise.