[Now that the earnest, intent, undeniable urge to clean clean fix it clean has abated, Natsume is much calmer, settling down cross-legged next to Junpei and rummaging through his bag some more. The papers fall out as he does, all of them covered with strange arcane symbols and circles, most of them scribbled out.]
Here we are. [Natsume pulls out actual bandages now, intent on making sure that he's also doctoring Junpei up in a human way.] This'll sting a bit. [God knows where he got antiseptic wipes, but he's much gentler about this part, pressing them against the licked-raw marks.]
[ The papers and their bizarre symbols are eyed curiously, but Junpei doesn’t get to dwell on them long before the more human cleaning starts.
This too, in its way, is comforting to him. Being fussed on a little, having someone’s concern. His mind drifts back to being a child and getting a scrape and his mother treating it in a similar way. The memory of her makes his heart ache.
There is the slightest wince at the sting of the wipes, but he holds still to allow Natsume to continue.
He was just expecting to get covers for his ears, not all this personal attention. But he’s being very agreeable, no sign of his more prickly side to be seen. As if he needed this badly and is actually soaking it in.
The rabbit urge to flop on his belly from being so relaxed is strong, but he fights it. ]
[Natsume keeps expecting to be told to stop, to knock it off, but that...doesn't happen. It's weirdly reassuring, like he's actually helping, and not just because someone is indulging him. He wraps bandages around Junpei's neck, neat and practiced, like he's done this a thousand times. He has. It's different on someone other than himself, though.
Once the bandages are fastened, he sits back on his heels, ears twitching a couple times, before he smiles.] There. Feel any better?
[He sees the papers then, and makes a face, starting to push them back into his bag. There's a book in there too, a handbound, handmade thing, oblong and old. Natsume is rough with the papers, but impossibly gentle with the book, nudging it carefully out of the way.] Sorry, I didn't mean to make a mess.
[ But not because of the bites being treated. His loneliness of the past couple weeks has been gnawing at him more and more, and having someone around has served as a better ointment than any physical thing could.
His attention is turned back to the papers as Natsume collects them. ]
Good. [Natsume looks very satisfied with himself, not wholly because of the weird feline urges either. Being able to help others has been his main goal, to be useful without taking up people's time and energy. To do that for a peer is even more of a triumph.
He'll think about how it involved an excessive amount of licking at a later point, thanks.
The papers get a sheepish look, and for a brief moment Natsume debates lying. But then:] Ah, sort of. They're...protective wards. Binding circles, exorcism circles...that kind of thing. I'm trying to see if I remember how to write them.
[Natsume's expression is cautious, like he's trying to figure out if Junpei actually believes all this or is just indulging him. If anything, he's more nervous now than ever.]
No, not at the moment. But I wanted to see if I remembered how to write these, just in case. Mostly the protective ones.
[A moment of hesitation, then Natsume smiles, a cool, practiced expression.] Probably I'm just being silly, hm?
No. It seems like anything and everything is possible here. Stuff like is probably very much needed. I mean ... there are even magic schools. I’m sure they teach similar things.
[ The question brings to mind one of the last conversations he had in his world.
Come back to the magic school with me. There are strong allies there.
There’s a lump in his throat he has to shake off to respond in an even tone. Natsume had already fussed over him enough today. He didn’t need to worry him more. ]
They do. Though I’m not familiar with these symbols specifically ... there are things called curses and sorcerers who fight them.
...really? And people...know about them? They believe in it? [Natsume doesn't mean for the raw, desperate wanting to creep into his voice the way it does. Realistically, he should just be open and honest about what he can do and see. He's in magic Taylor Swift land Folkmore, after all.
But the old fear persists, insidious and cruel. So he has to ask.] Do you believe in it?
[ Well, he hadn't always. It wasn't something everyone in his world knew existed, and was a part of society he hadn't been introduced to until he started being able to see curses himself. As such Natsume's question doesn't strike him as totally odd. ]
Not everyone does, but I saw curses and knew a sorcerer myself. I used cursed energy and could summon a shikigami with it ... actually ...
[ Things had been so hectic he hadn't even tried to see if he could still summon Moon Dregs. He decides to try now, pressing two fingers to his temple and concentrating.
After a moment or two there appears above Junpei's head a small, blue glowing jellyfish. It's bobbing in circles as if it's under water. ]
[Natsume's whole face breaks into the biggest smile, so bright and earnest that it really drives home how all his previous smiles had been completely fake. He looks upwards at the jellyfish, starry-eyed and absolutely delighted, and breathes reverently:] Oh, that's beautiful.
[ Moon Dregs floats over to inspect Natsume curiously, doing little circles around him as if inspecting. ]
Yeah ... I guess it is.
[ Part of the reason he'd subconsciously not summoned his shikigami since arriving was remembering the awful events that had transpired the last time he'd used it.
Now, much smaller, not being used for destruction, it did look rather pretty. He found himself thinking he hoped he'd never have to use it in that way again. ]
It's called Moon Dregs. It can be dangerous, but ... only if I tell it to be.
Ah, hello. [Natsume smiles up at the little jelly, ears pricked up and delighted, resisting the urge to reach out for it. Probably not a good idea to touch the potentially-dangerous magic jellyfish.
He nods slightly, watching Moon Dregs float around in little circles.] I see. That's -- well, it's amazing. [He huffs out a laugh, speaking without thinking:] I usually just end up punching the things that come after me.
[ Satisfied with its inspection of the new person, Moon Dregs returns to circling Junpei's head.
The comment causes Junpei's expression to darken. He lowers his head and his voice at the same time. The circumstances under which he obtained his shikigami were not exactly pleasant. ]
I couldn't fight. At all. I wasn't strong enough. When I came across a being that could kill with a touch ... I asked him to show me how. He taught me how to summon Moon Dregs.
...a being? [Natsume repeats it quietly, shifting to sit cross-legged. The darkness in Junpei's tone suggest that this isn't a pleasant story. He remembers then, abruptly, that Junpei is dead at home.]
[ Natsume has a certainty in his voice that yanks Junpei out of the pit he’d been sinking into. He looks back at the other with a startled expression, still tinged with pain but not as hopeless as he’d been a second before. ]
My mother ... he’s why she died too. I know it. I didn’t realize it then ... but joining with him ... if I hadn’t ...
[ Tears start to form in the corners of his eyes, even as he struggles to hold them back. ]
I don’t want to be here. I don’t want to be anywhere. I want her back. I want her to be okay ...
[Natsume's breath leaves him in a slow, soft "oh". It -- makes sense, horrific and devastating sense. Creatures like that (demons, spirits, curses, whatever the terminology is) don't care about who they hurt, getting to their goals. They don't care about human connections or how it hurts when those are broken.
He's quiet for a moment, trying to figure out what to say.] ...what would she want you to do? If you were to ask her. What would she say?
[That gets a softer, more genuine smile, and Natsume's tail instinctively flicks over, resting on Junpei's hand for a moment, fluffy and heavy. He could leave it at that, could say "well, that should be enough", but it doesn't feel quite right. It's all very good to remember the wishes of those you've lost, but it's just as easy to tell yourself why does it matter? He knows that very well.
So, after a moment, gathering his courage, because he doesn't talk about this at all:] My, um. My father died when I was very, very small. I can't...remember his face or his voice or...the things he liked to do or...really much of anything about him. [The words are thick in Natsume's throat, and he has to stop for a moment, breathe through them.] But I remember...I remember that he loved me. I can remember that.
[He draws his knees up to his chest, rests his chin on them, glancing sideways at Junpei.] So, when I wanted...when I want to disappear, to not...be anywhere, I. I remember that, once, I was a person someone loved. And that...it still matters. Even though that someone's gone.
[ Natsume’s words strike Junpei dead in the heart, and tears he’d been holding back start to freely flow down the slope of his cheeks and fall to the wooden floor. It starts slow, but soon it’s a deluge, and he begins to gasp out sobs.
Still, he nods. It makes sense. It makes so much sense it’s painful. His mother’s love. It was that powerful, wasn’t it? It could last beyond her. Beyond the abyss that now separated them. She wouldn’t want him to be hiding, and scared, and lonely. His mother was the person he cared about the most in the world - but he was also the same for her. ]
... I-I’m sorry ... let me ... go dry my face.
[ He shakily rises to his feet, rubbing his eyes with his sleeve to at least get some visibility if he’s going to walk to the kitchen. ]
O-Oh, I-- [Natsume's wide golden eyes go even wider for a moment, ears pinning down and back in alarm, before he quickly stands as well.] No, no, let me, one moment.
[He fishes a somewhat faded handkerchief out of his bag, reaching out to gently press it to Junpei's face.] I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to upset you.
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Here we are. [Natsume pulls out actual bandages now, intent on making sure that he's also doctoring Junpei up in a human way.] This'll sting a bit. [God knows where he got antiseptic wipes, but he's much gentler about this part, pressing them against the licked-raw marks.]
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This too, in its way, is comforting to him. Being fussed on a little, having someone’s concern. His mind drifts back to being a child and getting a scrape and his mother treating it in a similar way. The memory of her makes his heart ache.
There is the slightest wince at the sting of the wipes, but he holds still to allow Natsume to continue.
He was just expecting to get covers for his ears, not all this personal attention. But he’s being very agreeable, no sign of his more prickly side to be seen. As if he needed this badly and is actually soaking it in.
The rabbit urge to flop on his belly from being so relaxed is strong, but he fights it. ]
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Once the bandages are fastened, he sits back on his heels, ears twitching a couple times, before he smiles.] There. Feel any better?
[He sees the papers then, and makes a face, starting to push them back into his bag. There's a book in there too, a handbound, handmade thing, oblong and old. Natsume is rough with the papers, but impossibly gentle with the book, nudging it carefully out of the way.] Sorry, I didn't mean to make a mess.
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[ But not because of the bites being treated. His loneliness of the past couple weeks has been gnawing at him more and more, and having someone around has served as a better ointment than any physical thing could.
His attention is turned back to the papers as Natsume collects them. ]
What are those? Is that a language?
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He'll think about how it involved an excessive amount of licking at a later point, thanks.
The papers get a sheepish look, and for a brief moment Natsume debates lying. But then:] Ah, sort of. They're...protective wards. Binding circles, exorcism circles...that kind of thing. I'm trying to see if I remember how to write them.
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But shortly before he’d come here the world of curses and sorcerers had been revealed to him, and were a very large part of his everyday reality.
He shows honest interest in them, pressing the subject further. ]
Are you trying to exorcise something?
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No, not at the moment. But I wanted to see if I remembered how to write these, just in case. Mostly the protective ones.
[A moment of hesitation, then Natsume smiles, a cool, practiced expression.] Probably I'm just being silly, hm?
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No. It seems like anything and everything is possible here. Stuff like is probably very much needed. I mean ... there are even magic schools. I’m sure they teach similar things.
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He slowly pushes the last of the papers into the bag, then gives Junpei an intent, searching look.] Do they exist where you’re from?
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Come back to the magic school with me. There are strong allies there.
There’s a lump in his throat he has to shake off to respond in an even tone. Natsume had already fussed over him enough today. He didn’t need to worry him more. ]
They do. Though I’m not familiar with these symbols specifically ... there are things called curses and sorcerers who fight them.
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magic Taylor Swift landFolkmore, after all.But the old fear persists, insidious and cruel. So he has to ask.] Do you believe in it?
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Not everyone does, but I saw curses and knew a sorcerer myself. I used cursed energy and could summon a shikigami with it ... actually ...
[ Things had been so hectic he hadn't even tried to see if he could still summon Moon Dregs. He decides to try now, pressing two fingers to his temple and concentrating.
After a moment or two there appears above Junpei's head a small, blue glowing jellyfish. It's bobbing in circles as if it's under water. ]
... ah ... I still can ...
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Yeah ... I guess it is.
[ Part of the reason he'd subconsciously not summoned his shikigami since arriving was remembering the awful events that had transpired the last time he'd used it.
Now, much smaller, not being used for destruction, it did look rather pretty. He found himself thinking he hoped he'd never have to use it in that way again. ]
It's called Moon Dregs. It can be dangerous, but ... only if I tell it to be.
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He nods slightly, watching Moon Dregs float around in little circles.] I see. That's -- well, it's amazing. [He huffs out a laugh, speaking without thinking:] I usually just end up punching the things that come after me.
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The comment causes Junpei's expression to darken. He lowers his head and his voice at the same time. The circumstances under which he obtained his shikigami were not exactly pleasant. ]
I couldn't fight. At all. I wasn't strong enough. When I came across a being that could kill with a touch ... I asked him to show me how. He taught me how to summon Moon Dregs.
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[ His posture tenses as he remembers them, quivering slightly. As if he’s afraid speaking of the curse might manifest it here. ]
I was so stupid. I trusted him. I thought I was safe. But ... he was just using me to get to someone else. I was bait. Disposable.
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It wasn't your fault. [Natsume leans forward, eyes serious and intent.] Whatever happened. It wasn't your fault.
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My mother ... he’s why she died too. I know it. I didn’t realize it then ... but joining with him ... if I hadn’t ...
[ Tears start to form in the corners of his eyes, even as he struggles to hold them back. ]
I don’t want to be here. I don’t want to be anywhere. I want her back. I want her to be okay ...
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He's quiet for a moment, trying to figure out what to say.] ...what would she want you to do? If you were to ask her. What would she say?
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... she ... she wanted me to be happy. To get out into the world. To meet new people. To find a place where I’d belong and be comfortable.
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So, after a moment, gathering his courage, because he doesn't talk about this at all:] My, um. My father died when I was very, very small. I can't...remember his face or his voice or...the things he liked to do or...really much of anything about him. [The words are thick in Natsume's throat, and he has to stop for a moment, breathe through them.] But I remember...I remember that he loved me. I can remember that.
[He draws his knees up to his chest, rests his chin on them, glancing sideways at Junpei.] So, when I wanted...when I want to disappear, to not...be anywhere, I. I remember that, once, I was a person someone loved. And that...it still matters. Even though that someone's gone.
Does that make sense?
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Still, he nods. It makes sense. It makes so much sense it’s painful. His mother’s love. It was that powerful, wasn’t it? It could last beyond her. Beyond the abyss that now separated them. She wouldn’t want him to be hiding, and scared, and lonely. His mother was the person he cared about the most in the world - but he was also the same for her. ]
... I-I’m sorry ... let me ... go dry my face.
[ He shakily rises to his feet, rubbing his eyes with his sleeve to at least get some visibility if he’s going to walk to the kitchen. ]
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[He fishes a somewhat faded handkerchief out of his bag, reaching out to gently press it to Junpei's face.] I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to upset you.