sacral | 𝚒𝚗𝚋𝚘𝚡 — 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚗𝚒𝚊.

( An hour later, urgency explicit, leverage depleted, opening play begrudging — and the tremors of the Murmur link a cryogenic invasion. )

22 November.

[ (ooc. this is for whatever night he stayed with Caelus at the hotel after the fight with Charlotte!)

In the morning outside the door of whatever room Subaru is in, he'll find a small decorative box. there is a tag on top with his last name in English and a simple note on the back of 'thank you,' as well, with a little doodle of a small cartoon raccoon holding its paws in the air with heart emojis.

it's signed by Aventurine, also in English. (He is hoping the other can read English because after asking like one or two people who speak Japanese and getting a mini lecture on the potential kanji differences of names, he decided English was so much easier.)

Unfortunately, that's the best Aventurine can express on paper here, but in the box will be carefully placed talisman papers from one of the shrines on the island, each one meticulously placed in the thin transparent wrappers finished ofuda are sold at shrines in usually. there's maybe 50 sheets or so in total, so not a ton as Aventurine went through a lot to pick out the nicest and best preserved he could find for making the little gift. It includes a calligraphy brush, a calligraphy pen, a (very) small vial of sealed black ink, and a...hello kitty pen because not everyone's perfect and it's in case of emergency since he doesn't even know if Subaru needs a writing utensil to make use of the paper. ( In his defense it writes really well!)

he also has placed a small business card that's a little bit beat up, but still very legible, and tucked in there for the shrine that he found the items at, in case Subaru needs other supplies or whatnot that might useful to him. ]

[ It's been more or less a week since Subaru stayed at the hotel. Between continuing his exploration of the huge city, Caelus also maintained his habit of visiting his friends and checking on everyone. Naturally, Subaru is among the list, especially as Caelus never forgot the fact that his dear friend had been constantly sleeping outdoors for a while.

Considering the Sundowning's continued effects, it's natural for him to worry. That's why he decided to start a side project that he's been working on for the entire week. He finally finished it today, and he's excited to present it. Thus, using the tether, he calls out— ]

Subaru? Are you busy?

[ When Arthur reaches out across the Murmur, it's a familiar feeling to their dance in the dream; pragmatic, professional, clean lines borne with a subdued grace. Along the edges, there's a subtle warmth, like a stubborn frost being eroded by the accumulated heat of a hearth upon a windowpane. ]

Hey, got a minute?

( Shrill on the Murmur, limpid; the schooled sharpness of pointed delivery. Fatigue should live in the bones, not on the tongue. )

I'm afraid to inconvenience.

[ His head feels like it is swimming. The emotions felt in the song daze and confuse; it pulls pain that isn't even his to the surface. What is he to do with it? His own trauma is minimal at worst. Ah, what a world they've awakened. ]

... how is my coworker?

[ it's been some time since he was supposed to meet subaru at the park.

clumsy, staggering footsteps drag him through the city. laid over the buildings, his vision flickers to show what they once were—how they became what they now are. the fear rises up in his throat like nausea and in his ears, he can hear it, steady and continuous:

—I can change nothing no I can change nothing nothing has become my plaything I can make nothing into a weapon there will be no void left unfilled I am human and humans are always human and always scared because being human makes us scared and being scared makes us human—

the chanting eggs him on, and his head feels like a mess. it hurts, it aches, it stings, but at the very least, it's not so far gone that he finds himself unable to recognize the fact. he's not thinking clearly, and he knows he's not thinking clearly. it's hard to think clearly—but maybe if he's lucky, if he gives it a minute, it will pass.

under the red light of the moon, agent choi leans back on what's left of a dingy bus stop bench, closing his eyes as his lips move intermittently of their own accord. ]

[ It's been two weeks since the incident, and Caelus finally left the hotel for the first time in a while. He's so happy to be able to walk outside again! But he knows he shouldn't push it too much, so he's not going to run around like a hyper raccoon or do any crazy parkour moves yet. He did, however, bring his skateboard, so it'll allow some ease of movement on his legs. So he rolls forward, onward to his destination.

The usual stop, in the Chelsea neighborhood. The soft sunshine easily replenishes some more energy to Caelus, who undoubtedly appreciates the light after weeks of constant dark crimson. So he's all smiles as he stops by the familiar trailer in the parking lot he's come to know so well. He peeks around the area first, checking if the trailer's handsome owner is around the parking lot or the fire pit. Tip-toe. Tip-toe.

Then, he sees a recognizable silhouette at the window. He quietly comes up to it and tips himself up, but he can only reach with the upper half of his head. His gray hair and golden eyes are visible from the frame. How long until he's noticed, he wonders. He stays there, not saying anything yet! ]

[ pacing is a bad habit that's getting harder and harder to break.

the fuller the moon gets, the more difficult it becomes. agent choi doesn't consider himself an anxious person by any stretch of the definition, but even in the absence of that, this evening too it's started up again as reliable as clockwork. back and forth. back and forth. back and forth. all in anticipation of what might happen this time.

well, suffice to say that they've found out. or rather, subaru has.

because resting across his lap, in the very same place that agent choi had finally been coaxed from his restlessness into a fitful sleep, there's now a much heavier weight, warm and soft. he can feel it under his hand—fur that's much, much longer, fuller and thicker, and when he opens his eyes, orange, black and white will greet him—a tiger's stripes.

snzzz... ]

( To be, or not to be, a Murmur's sweeted bluffer:
Determined for your twin star's raccoon mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of fortune that him skewer
As he rears fluff head and whiskers from the sewer
Thus facing Sumeragi woes: to smoke, to sleep
No more; and by a sleep, to say pretend
There is ever bitter end to consternation
That Subaru is heir to? 'Tis a summation
Of twink wants, twink needs: to die, to smoke, to sleep
To sleep, perchance to Dream; aye, Seishirou's the hurt — )

Angry?

no subject

3rd week, TNDNBTG event, gift item.

Somewhere within week 4, nearing end of TNDNBTG