derailing | say a prayer but let the good times roll in case god doesn't show

[Very fun indeed.

Tsukiyama is actually pretty punctual today, though that may be for sheer want of things to do; he's better in the cold than he is the heat, and today has been absolutely stifling. That said, he's spent more enough time under his own cold shower and...play-flirting with a cardboard cutout of a priest because that's exactly how sad and disturbing his life has become nowadays; he'll be showing up at Ryuunosuke's door eventually, his left arm unbandaged again because it's not like anyone who might know about his 'condition' is going to see him for the rest of the night.

There aren't any signs that he'd injured himself as badly as he did; there are thin, pale scars lightly raising the skin and tracing light paths toward his wrist that look like he may have gotten in a fight with a rosebush at one point or another, but otherwise he seems perfectly fine.

That said, he has more ribbons with him tonight, and he's perfectly content to sit on Ryuunosuke's bed like he owns the place and work on roses until Ryuunosuke's done.]

[Well, you sort of do. We've got joint custody of it at this point!

Ryuunosuke emerges a few minutes later. He's got the swim trunks on and he isn't bothering with a shirt, but more pressing is the shoulder injury, which he's actually sort of attempting to dress on his own. He doesn't seem in any danger of watching the last of his sanity slip away, but he's humming aggressively like this will somehow help.]

Oh, hey! I hope I didn't keep you waiting for too long!

[...so is there enough space on the bed for him or]

[He looks up at that; the smile he offers is light, though his gaze does flick over to that injury rather noticeably.]

Not at all, actually. Get the bandages and I'll help you with that, hm?

Yeah, sure!

[He drops into the chair and fishes them out of the desk, setting them out for Tsukiyama. Ryuunosuke keeps his attention on Tsukiyama instead of looking at the injury again.]

I can't wait until this stupid motive's over. I hate the heat and I'm not big on the cold either.

[The noise he offers is soft and assenting at that; agreed, Ryuunosuke. Now get over here and let him patch your shoulder up a bit; he has no idea what a normal human healing rate actually is, now that he thinks about it, but this is...worrying him, until it's healed up.]

Our numbers will be down again, too. Eight or nine.

[Well to be honest, he's not sure how long it would take someone to recover from something like this, so he can't help either!! Whoops.

He joins Tsukiyama though, sitting down and handing over the bandages and remaining gauze in case you want to redo his pathetic attempts.]

We're so close now... I'm so excited. I wonder which of them are going to die this week? This motive isn't get anyone to kill though, so I'm a little confused about that. Maybe cabin fever will finally do someone in.

Maybe someone's already close to snapping.

[He's absolutely redoing that, good lord.]

If that's the case, it won't take much to set someone off, n'est-ce pas?

Hmm, that's true. Dave seems to be doing okay this week though one of his soldier friends died. The other soldier guy though...

[...good lord the poor person that guy targets is gonna die horribly]

I'm not leaving the room at all on Thursday night. Just to be safe, of course.

...I'm glad to hear that, actually; I can't afford to have anything happen to you.

[His words are a little blank, despite himself; he doesn't really like this topic, let's...move on, shall we?]

It won't be much longer before we don't have to worry about that anymore; I'll be showing you the city at night, and everything that comes with that. It'll all have been worth it before long.

["I can't afford to have anything happen to you." That's a really nice thought, isn't it? Ryuunosuke looks sort of pink, but he likes the topic change so he won't think too much about it.]

I'm so excited, Tsukiyama. Fuyuki at night was kinda boring, honestly. There wasn't much going on and when stuff did happen it was always really boring. I didn't really have to be worried about being caught because the cops always patrolled the same way. There wasn't anything interesting.

I'm sure Tokyo's going to be so much more fun! I really want to see everything!

Surely your friend made things a little more interesting for you...? You were going to tell me about him tonight.

[At least he's gotten pretty practiced with the bandages; we should be done there, thankfully.]

Ah, right!

[Ryuunosuke moves his shoulder a bit experimentally. It's still sore as hell and he hates moving it, but a little pain is better than dealing with questions about why he's still acting like his shoulder hurts. The bandages stay put too, which is good.]

Bluebeard's different though. I'm still not sure how long I've known him, but I don't think it's been too long. Definitely less than a year, probably less than six months. But with him it isn't a matter of trying to find ways to make killing interesting - he's so amazing, Tsukiyama...!

[Give him a second. HE HAS SO MANY FEELINGS.]

In the Holy Grail War there are seven classes of Servants. Bluebeard's a Caster, which basically means he can use hella cool magic. He can summon monsters and he can even cast spells that will allow my victims to live through more!

[YOU CAN SEE EXACTLY WHERE THIS IS GOING, CAN'T YOU]

The things I was able to do... Or, well... try to do. My greatest idea didn't pan out at all.

Ah, that thing you wanted to do with the-

[REDACTED.]

That's a little disappointing, I'll admit...but he was able to give you the opportunity to attempt it?

He was, yes! He was super mad when he came back though so I didn't get much of a chance to try to fix my work any, um.

[HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN SUMMONED AS A KNIGHT CLASS LET'S PUT IT THAT WAY]

It was amazing though! Being able to even try something like that... I never would have imagined it. It was so wonderful!

But even with all the amazing stuff he could do, it's nothing compared to what I'll get to experience with you.

[Ryuunosuke is going to miss him, but he's not going to go back to Fuyuki.]

...You really think so?

[That's...flattering, in ways that he isn't really sure he can explain, goodness, you're almost making him shy - ]

I mean, outside of being in my presence and all, I'm sure.

[...Ah. There we go.]

[WOW NO DON'T YOU DARE BE SHY ABOUT THIS HE THOUGHT YOU COULDN'T GET ANY MORE CUTE]

Well yeah! You're still the coolest person I've ever met, you know! But of course I think so! I wouldn't say it if I didn't believe it! Together we're gonna be unstoppable. It's going to be so, so cool! I can't wait to see everything you can do!

You'll have plenty of opportunities, believe me - I'm going to want to do nothing but hunt once I'm out of here, at least for a while.

Edited (sentence no) 2015-07-22 20:11 (UTC)

I want to watch. I want to see everything you can do. I'm sure it'll be really cool.

[It doesn't matter if he's the one doing the killing, he just wants to watch interesting deaths.]

Let me come with you sometimes, okay? I won't get in the way!

You can come with me all you want - I'm used to working with an audience, you could say, a friend of mine likes to watch sometimes. Hunting humans down isn't all that difficult, anyway, not once you know what you're doing.

Great! I'm so excited, Tsukiyama! I can barely wait, it's gonna be so amazing...! I really want to see your ribbon-blade-shield thing in action!

[okay look, ghouls are clearly the superior predator here, of course he's gonna want to see everything.]

[That makes him laugh a bit, good lord.]

Kagune. It's called a kagune.

Kagune... Ah, you described the wing-type before, but what are the others? You said Ryoji might have a type that's good against yours...?

[He shifts on the bed, though he isn't moving away.]

It depends on where it leaves the body, really - kagunes are decided by what type of RC cells you have, and where the organ that controls them is located. Mine is called koukaku, which exits the body here...

[He reaches out, touching Ryuunosuke's back as he speaks; his fingertips trace lightly over a spot just below Ryuunosuke's shoulderblade.]

It's noted for being heavy and difficult to use; I can't dodge very well with it, and my attacking speed is far lower than most and easily parried. But it's able to withstand most attacks, at least initially, and it's devastating at close range because of the amount of power you can put behind it.

...Now, Miss Everett's...

[His hand shifts up, more directly over the shoulderblade itself.]

Hers would exit about here. It's called ukaku, it's based around attacks that are quick and repetitive, often involving projectiles, but they're reasonably light and require a good amount of energy to maintain. The reason mine is strong against hers is whatever she does won't be powerful enough to damage me, and she'll run out of energy long before I do.

Mochizuki-san, on the other hand...

[And his hand trails downward again, coming to rest at about the middle of Ryuunosuke's back.]

His would be about here. We call that rinkaku, it...usually looks like tentacles of some sort. They're very fast, with a decent range on them, and usually several of the appendages manifest at the same time - often between four and six. It's strong against mine because...well, I can't move quickly enough to parry all of that, and it can break through my defenses easily. It's overwhelming, basically.

[Ryuunosuke's eyes slide closed as Tsukiyama explains and he tries to imagine what the different types of kagune would look like. Tsukiyama's looked like it would be painful coming out of his back like that, but he'd said that it didn't hurt and Ryuunosuke believes him. So the wings come from there and the tentacles come from there... huh.]

They all sound so incredible. I want to see them. All of them! As many as I can! Having such a beautiful, powerful weapon built into you... ghouls really are the coolest, aren't they?

[He opens his eyes and grins at Tsukiyama.]

I'm so disappointed I wasn't born into your world! I would have fit right in! And being a ghoul... It must be the most amazing feeling in the world. I'm so jealous!

For the most part, I've found that it is. It's...well, I'll admit that for a while I did find it difficult, but I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Of course not! I... obviously can't imagine all the things you've had to go through and the things that people have done to ghouls, but... ghouls really are amazing. I want to learn everything about you guys! I mean if the others are even half as cool as you, I'll absolutely love it!

...Now that I'm thinking about it, I think you'd enjoy seeing Kanae's kagune quite a bit. He's rinkaku, I think he can do six at a time...they're thin, like vines, but they're barbed.

Backwards.

[...In other words, impaling someone with them is easy, but when you take them out...]

So they'd be like...

[He pantomimes, moving his arm forward and then backwards, stopping abruptly.]

Whoa. No way, that's--! That's so cool, so he can just rip them apart when he tries to pull it out? That's so cool! Oh my god I can't wait to see his in action!

[ryuunosuke no, kanae is going to hate you]

Do be gentle with him, will you? As I've said, he's going to be extremely jealous of you for a while.

[He flushes at that and his eyes are still doing that sparkling thing when he returns his attention to Tsukiyama.]

I will! I'll try not to make him too jealous, okay? He's yours too, so I'll definitely play nice!

There are several people who are mine, though some are mine to different degrees than others.

[He reaches out, running a hand through Ryuunosuke's hair.]

We're territorial, you see. Some are like that over hunting grounds, and I'll have to warn you about them - unless something's changed drastically in my absence, I know where to avoid - but almost all of us are like that over people. It's a trait of the species, you could say.

Ah, so that's why...

[Ryuunosuke leans into Tsukiyama's touch and his eyes shut again.]

I was kinda wondering about that, actually. Most people wouldn't say "you're mine" and mean it like you do. That's okay though, I think it's kinda endearing. It's something I've never really heard, you know? Well, I guess I've heard it before, but I haven't cared about it. It probably makes me a little weird that I'm perfectly fine with being yours, but it's not like I care what anyone else thinks.

I suppose it's a bit strange to say it like that, isn't it?

[He doesn't seem bothered any, though.]

I imagined that if anyone would understand, though, it would be you. Most people don't, but somehow I didn't think you would mind.

Of course not! I'm a pretty simple guy, so spelling it out like that works way better for me.

[Also he's bad at emotions. In case you missed the glaringly obvious memo.]

I've never really been a possessive person. I mean, I never saw much of a point in it. Material objects are great and all, but there's nothing I really have a strong attachment to. People can be fun, but again, there's only been one other person I've wanted to really be around and that only happened recently, I think.

You're completely different. I'm so glad we could meet!

Perhaps it really is divine providence.

[...Ah, speaking of...]

...You were going to tell me about that, weren't you? Your thoughts on God.

Oh, of course!

[AND UP OFF THE BED HE GOES he's gotta get ready for this, it's Very Important.]

The way I see it, the people out there that spending all their time worshiping God are on the right track. I don't think there's anything wrong with organized religion, regardless of what that religion might be. I mean, sure there are some crazy people out there who form weird cults, but I'm talking about the big religions, the ones that mostly focus on worshiping the same God, just in different ways.

But see, worship alone isn't what God's interested in. I'm sure He appreciates the ego boost as much as any of us would, but ultimately He is a writer. He's been creating the story of man for a long time now and there are so many of us to focus on!

[Ryuunosuke holds out his hands, tipping his head up as he speaks. He sounds pleased and vibrant, but this isn't in the same way he usually gets when something cool is happening.]

As a writer, He's interested in creating a memorable story. And who wouldn't be? If you're gonna sit down to write something, you want to make it cool. So He's up there shaping the world in such a way that will allow the story to remain interesting for years.

That's why people like me exist! No good story is complete without a few villains, right?

[He presses his hands to his chest and his eyes slide closed and good lord Ryuunosuke you are getting really into this, aren't you.]

You see, people like me keep the story interesting. People like me allow God to experience things just like all the good people in the world. I'm really not so different from everyone else in some ways! I experience joy and happiness and excitement, I just find it in different places. But the stranger I am, the more interesting His story is! "Where there's light, there's shadow" and all that, right? Without the bad guys, His story wouldn't be quite as interesting!

Even terrible actions like mine can be considered a form of worship, if you think about it like that! I'm doing what I can to provide for His story!

[Ryuunosuke clenches his hands, though he's not quite reaching GREATEST COOL levels yet.]

And when you think about it, God has to exist! How could such a wonderful, beautiful world come about by chance? It's just not possible! He's responsible for all the great things in the world, like human nature and individuality and even the color of our insides!

[WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK]

He's the most kind, caring deity we could ever hope for and He's provided us with a magnificent stage for us to play our parts! If you think about it like that, we're all equals in His eyes and even people like me who are completely awful really aren't so bad! Such a world is just... it's so spectacular! So amazing! So cool!

[AND THERE'S THE FISTPUMP at least he doesn't use his left hand, that would hurt]

[Tsukiyama just lets Ryuunosuke talk, and he doesn't seem inclined to interrupt him or say anything contrary; rather, he just...watches, and he's quiet, and by the end of it he's gone very still.

He doesn't really know what to do with any of that, but it's completely different than anything he's ever heard.]

You really think that...?

[He shakes his head a little. Trying to clear it, more than anything.]

So if that's what you believe, then you think that's why...it's why my body is like this, then...? That's why we...exist, it's not because something is wrong with the world, it's because that's how God intended the world to be...

It's...intentional. We're not some sort of mistake, we're...we were created, the same as humans are, and He...loves us just the same.

[His words are strange and halting, sort of like he's trying to process it and it's not quite coming across right; it isn't that he believes that thoughts like that are wrong or shouldn't exist, it's that he can't really fathom someone voicing such things to him in the first place.]

...Is that right?

[It's not something that he'd ever thought he'd want to hear; back home he would have hated hearing a human talk to him like this. But here, after all of this...he actually thinks he understands why it seemed so important to Ryuunosuke to hear from someone else that he wasn't broken.]

Yes!

[That gets Ryuunosuke to step forward and rest his hands on Tsukiyama's shoulders. He's still very wound up but the look in his eyes is surprisingly bright. It's probably the most alive he's been when he's not shrieking GREATEST COOL about something horrifying.]

He created this world - all of it! Your world, my world, Isabelle's and Allie's and Silver's - everything! None of this could have happened by chance, it's His will that things are the way they are!

You - and all ghouls - are just as important to Him as humans are! Setting the two against one another is kinda awful when ghouls are clearly superior, but it makes for an interesting story! Humans are the underdogs in your world and watching them fight and claw their way to attempt to be on top, even for a little while... Well, just imagine it! It would make for a great show, wouldn't it?

But of course you're His creation! It's especially true in a world like yours, a place where neither side can really be said to be more "good" than the other! Humans are just as awful as ghouls, aren't they? A world like that would make for the most incredible story! He's created a masterpiece!

[Ryuunosuke doesn't exactly settle any, but he does reach up to mess with Tsukiyama's bangs.]

Everyone's equal in His eyes. Human, ghoul, everyone. You exist because He wants you to exist. Isn't that the most beautiful thing about all this? We're here and we've met because it really was divine providence! I think He's rewarding us for our parts in this play of the world - we finally get to meet someone that understands us completely, even though the situation is grim.

That's the sort of story that deserves to be told.

Edited 2015-07-22 22:16 (UTC)

[And again, he just...lets Ryuunosuke talk, and he presses into his touch, encouraging it, when his fingers run through his hair.]

...Thank you. For telling me about this.

[...]

I suppose it's something I needed to hear right now.

I'm really glad I could help! This is something that's always fascinated me and it's such a wonderful experience to get to share my thoughts with someone!

[He's not going to stop with that hair-playing any time soon. Ryuunosuke seems to be calming down at least, though his expression is still bright and cheerful.]

...I've had some really hard times keeping that in mind, but it's something I believe from the bottom of my heart. It makes things a lot easier, doesn't it?

...It does. It's not something I would have thought of like that, but it genuinely does.

I've never understood why people would want to worship a God that punishes. This idea makes everything okay, because even the bad things are happening for a reason. We're just as important as everyone else and we're just as normal in His eyes. It's been really comforting.

[He's never really understood why, but this place has made that clear.]

say a prayer but let the good times roll in case god doesn't show

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