Naoya (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
crouching_sin) wrote2023-06-23 07:02 pm
crouching_sin) wrote2023-06-23 07:02 pm
Entry tags:
-Inbox- [
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
[Well, he's no longer sore anymore, and his magic reserves have mostly stabilized. Mostly, considering between his big fit out in the desert blowing up the animals and the area (that he wouldn't call a fit), and constantly summoning demons that could heal the refugees, it made sense that he had been running somewhere a little less than empty.
And it's not something he's particularly used to. But again, he's mostly back to baseline.
Not that it doesn't mean he wont drape himself on Naoya as he works like some sort of needy child.]
You need to get the summoning server back up and running here.
[It was so much easier to summon demons from a COMP than to use his own power...]
And it's not something he's particularly used to. But again, he's mostly back to baseline.
Not that it doesn't mean he wont drape himself on Naoya as he works like some sort of needy child.]
You need to get the summoning server back up and running here.
[It was so much easier to summon demons from a COMP than to use his own power...]
[He's scribbling in his notebook, trying to determine how dream emotion and waking emotion might be similar or different when he's interrupted by Kazuya.]
[He sighs and sets his pen down, looking at him sidelong and rolling his eyes.]
Overextended yourself, did you? ... Given that you're here, it's not an impossible thing...
[He sighs and sets his pen down, looking at him sidelong and rolling his eyes.]
Overextended yourself, did you? ... Given that you're here, it's not an impossible thing...
You're not weak in the slightest.
[He nudges the other and pulls his head away a little bit.]
How do you think I feel, compared to you?
[He nudges the other and pulls his head away a little bit.]
How do you think I feel, compared to you?
I'm very weak compared to you.
But yes, more or less normal. You only feel weak because you had a further power gap to be dragged through.
But yes, more or less normal. You only feel weak because you had a further power gap to be dragged through.
Yes, you do. For certain things.
... There aren't even computers here for me to rebuild the Demon Summoning Program with, anyway.
... There aren't even computers here for me to rebuild the Demon Summoning Program with, anyway.
It's much more difficult. I can get into the developer menu, but writing code that way is... a lot of tapping the screen.
As for the Compendium - maybe. It likely wouldn't let you summon everything, but I could try. The Auction - no, probably not. There's no other demon tamers to bid against.
As for the Compendium - maybe. It likely wouldn't let you summon everything, but I could try. The Auction - no, probably not. There's no other demon tamers to bid against.
There's you.
[... And he is kind of curious as to how much Macca that Naoya has. What if he cheated macca for himself.
Kazuya wouldn't put that past him, honestly.
And, as if just thinking about something, he gently nudges Naoya.]
Hey, since I'm a demon, would I be able to put myself up on auction?
[... And he is kind of curious as to how much Macca that Naoya has. What if he cheated macca for himself.
Kazuya wouldn't put that past him, honestly.
And, as if just thinking about something, he gently nudges Naoya.]
Hey, since I'm a demon, would I be able to put myself up on auction?
[He rolls his eyes and nudges him back.]
In theory, but no one would be able to afford you. Your level's too high - the system would automatically assign you a price that's fitting, which would be impossible to pay.
... Why? Are you looking for someone to obey?
[He resists the urge to make it weird. He doesn't need that right now.]
In theory, but no one would be able to afford you. Your level's too high - the system would automatically assign you a price that's fitting, which would be impossible to pay.
... Why? Are you looking for someone to obey?
[He resists the urge to make it weird. He doesn't need that right now.]
[Too late. He's already made it weird, and Kazuya pulls away from Naoya entirely, and shoves him for it, though he doesn't use even a fraction of the strength he has. Just enough to let his cousin know that he's annoyed at that.]
Hilarious.
[He says, in the most flat tone.]
It's not about me looking for someone to obey, and you know it.
Hilarious.
[He says, in the most flat tone.]
It's not about me looking for someone to obey, and you know it.
[He doesn't comment on the push, just lets him get away with it. There's no point in retaliating when he can't hope to win if it escalates.]
... What is it, then? Someone to... keep an eye on you?
[Money or power is what demons normally make contracts for... but Kazuya's different.]
... What is it, then? Someone to... keep an eye on you?
[Money or power is what demons normally make contracts for... but Kazuya's different.]
Not really. [He shakes his head, though that might also be part of it. Someone who could force him to reign in his power, if needed.]
It's mostly that this place is kind of more dangerous than I thought it'd be? I mean, I showed up during a festival, and it was mostly just obnoxious pranks being pulled.
[Which was way more light hearted. And he'd been told about the Story Eater too, but that seemed like it had cleared everything up, from what he had understood, but now... He's not so sure.]
It's mostly that this place is kind of more dangerous than I thought it'd be? I mean, I showed up during a festival, and it was mostly just obnoxious pranks being pulled.
[Which was way more light hearted. And he'd been told about the Story Eater too, but that seemed like it had cleared everything up, from what he had understood, but now... He's not so sure.]
Edited 2023-09-24 02:36 (UTC)
... So why would you want to put yourself up on auction?
[No, he's not letting this go.]
[No, he's not letting this go.]
[Uh... huh.]
Who else do you think is going to buy you other than me? If I could even afford it.
[Yes, he could cheat and give himself more macca. But he wouldn't actually have it, and demonic deals are rather particular about cheating.]
Who else do you think is going to buy you other than me? If I could even afford it.
[Yes, he could cheat and give himself more macca. But he wouldn't actually have it, and demonic deals are rather particular about cheating.]
... You really sure you want me to be able to summon you whenever I want? I thought you'd want to get away from me for a while.
[Going along with his plans or no, Kazuya's a teenager.]
[Though there is a touch of bitterness in his voice. He knows it's not the same Kazuya, but seeing him still faintly hurts. Watching his brother decimate his demonic backup and then simply go to town hitting him...]
[Going along with his plans or no, Kazuya's a teenager.]
[Though there is a touch of bitterness in his voice. He knows it's not the same Kazuya, but seeing him still faintly hurts. Watching his brother decimate his demonic backup and then simply go to town hitting him...]
[The tone itself has him shrink back into himself, just a bit. He knows he's been... kind of rude, but he thought he'd at least made it clear that he does like his cousin, that he does care for Naoya, and that he even likes being around him, more often than not.]
If I wanted to get away from you I wouldn't be here to begin with.
[They used to be so close, even after Naoya moved out, though even he'd ended up visiting less and less because Naoya had been more and more busy in the few months before the lock down.
And then the lock down had strained things further between them, even if in the end Kazuya had chosen Naoya over everyone else because he trusted him.
He still does, though now he's not sure if the feeling is mutual, considering their different outcomes.]
If I wanted to get away from you I wouldn't be here to begin with.
[They used to be so close, even after Naoya moved out, though even he'd ended up visiting less and less because Naoya had been more and more busy in the few months before the lock down.
And then the lock down had strained things further between them, even if in the end Kazuya had chosen Naoya over everyone else because he trusted him.
He still does, though now he's not sure if the feeling is mutual, considering their different outcomes.]
[He's quiet for a few moments, just... mulling over things. He knows he's not being fair, but he just... he's so tired. Maybe his answer lies in some knowledge of other worlds, so he's been trying to learn about them...]
[But he's weary and exhausted and the lockdown wasn't kind on him either. Sure, he was better equipped with a hideaway and food stores, but he'd barely slept, barely eaten... he'd put everything on the line and gotten... worse than nothing in return.]
[He runs his hands through his hair and tries to shake off the moment, even if he knows it's not so easy for Kazuya either.]
I know. ... I know. I just... never mind.
[Anything he says isn't going to be enough.]
... I know I've been hard on you. I've known about the War of Bel since... well, before either of us were born in this lifetime. I spent every bit of energy I could for over two decades preparing for it, trying to find a way.
[And then the Internet spread all over, and he had an answer.]
I've been hard on you because I've known what was coming. And now I don't.
[When one reaches the end of the line, there's no way to know what's beyond the last stop.]
[But he's weary and exhausted and the lockdown wasn't kind on him either. Sure, he was better equipped with a hideaway and food stores, but he'd barely slept, barely eaten... he'd put everything on the line and gotten... worse than nothing in return.]
[He runs his hands through his hair and tries to shake off the moment, even if he knows it's not so easy for Kazuya either.]
I know. ... I know. I just... never mind.
[Anything he says isn't going to be enough.]
... I know I've been hard on you. I've known about the War of Bel since... well, before either of us were born in this lifetime. I spent every bit of energy I could for over two decades preparing for it, trying to find a way.
[And then the Internet spread all over, and he had an answer.]
I've been hard on you because I've known what was coming. And now I don't.
[When one reaches the end of the line, there's no way to know what's beyond the last stop.]
I don't care about that, Naoya. I followed you because I trusted you. That you knew what was best. Because you gave me the best possible answer to take in what time I had to choose.
[And... Naoya had let him choose. It would have been so easy for Naoya in his infinite experience to railroad him down his path. Make it so that there couldn't have ever been any other way.
But he didn't. He didn't force him a single step of the way other than starting the initial lock down, only presented the option.
This time he closes the distance again, wrapping his arms around his cousin from behind in a tight hug.]
I still trust you, even if you don't know. And I want you to trust me that I'll figure something out for you, somehow.
[And... Naoya had let him choose. It would have been so easy for Naoya in his infinite experience to railroad him down his path. Make it so that there couldn't have ever been any other way.
But he didn't. He didn't force him a single step of the way other than starting the initial lock down, only presented the option.
This time he closes the distance again, wrapping his arms around his cousin from behind in a tight hug.]
I still trust you, even if you don't know. And I want you to trust me that I'll figure something out for you, somehow.
[He flinches at the hug but doesn't otherwise try to pull out of it. It's... soothing, but weird. He should be the one trying to soothe Kazuya.]
[Fuck, he needs a drink.]
[Naoya leans back into Kazuya's shoulder and closes his eyes.]
I trust that you'll try.
[He hadn't found anything else other than killing God. Bowing to Him wasn't an option, ever. Killing the caster of a curse usually ended the curse, except in powerful ones. And this was powerful... but he had no options left.]
... What do you want, right now?
[Fuck, he needs a drink.]
[Naoya leans back into Kazuya's shoulder and closes his eyes.]
I trust that you'll try.
[He hadn't found anything else other than killing God. Bowing to Him wasn't an option, ever. Killing the caster of a curse usually ended the curse, except in powerful ones. And this was powerful... but he had no options left.]
... What do you want, right now?
[What does he want...? To save Naoya. To protect the people that matter to him. To give into the factors of Bel inside him and kill God and all of the angels. To make them hurt and suffer and pay for everything they'd done to him. To Naoya. To his friends and the people he cares about.
There's so much he wants, but nothing he can do here. He just has to trust that the him that's awake is still fighting, and still winning, and that after everything is said and done, he'll keep the knowledge that he has here, that there's another Naoya who is suffering, another him who had made the wrong choice, for whatever reason.
His grip tightens on his brother, maybe a little too much.]
I want to protect you.
There's so much he wants, but nothing he can do here. He just has to trust that the him that's awake is still fighting, and still winning, and that after everything is said and done, he'll keep the knowledge that he has here, that there's another Naoya who is suffering, another him who had made the wrong choice, for whatever reason.
His grip tightens on his brother, maybe a little too much.]
I want to protect you.
Page 1 of 8