Who: Agent Choi + Some others What: Post-death stuff to keep things tidy When: After the Rat King showdown Where: Around Manhattan Warnings: Will be updated as we go.
no different from faces, or veins, or the shape of one's wrist, the scent associated with a person is just as unique. the scent that he's following today, having started near one of the subway station entrances, is one that vaguely reminds him of coffee, lingering behind from a certain individual's footsteps.
now that a few days have passed, he's decided to spend his time like this. his body has largely healed, and aside from being a bit sore and tender in places, he's more or less able to move around well. enough so that he can traverse the city with some effort, at least, and so that's what he does, following this rich scent as it slowly grows stronger. he pauses here—somewhere the scent has layered over and over again, many times, and opens his mouth just slightly, allowing the air to brush against the roof of it. his tail curls at the tip, and he makes his decision after just a moment.
because it tastes fresh.
from there, it doesn't take long. peering into buildings, vehicles, and even winding through alleyways—but it's the latter that finds him what he's searching for: a disheveled looking man sitting cramped in the backseat of a car, looking anywhere but choi.
choi taps his knuckles against the glass of the window, knocking with a broad smile. ]
[ he can't really stomach it. alone in his car, the stuffing hanging out the font seat's back, and the strips of paper sitting in the floorboard. it's a cramped space, even worse with his shadow holding the weight of a horse from the previous layer. it's so unfitting for kim soleum that no one should know he's here, it's the best hiding space, who would even figure this out?
soleum can't sleep, he can't cry either. he doesn't have anyone to talk to, he doesn't have anyone to make him laugh or say he's done his best. he doesn't have his good friend, good ol' braun who will tell soleum what his options were and then calling him a friend in the same breath. what did he do wrong, how did he do everything wrong. even though agent choi is back to normal, he's alive, soleum wonders if he's done wrong there too.
what if he should have let him die, what if he could have been freed from this. that was their only chance, and soleum made a rash decision that could have ruined everything, but he couldn't do it. he couldn't accept that death. dying by something of this disaster is different from dying by their own means, what if he died here and didn't go home? why is soleum still thinking about this? he's ruined so much, and yet he can't get it out his mind. even with the other person who almost died, his circumstances are more precarious as he's assimilated with this place, he'd probably have vanished entirely.
isn't it a good thing they had a doctor?
if this place is closely or loosely related to sekwang special city...
tap, knock, knock.
knuckles rap against the glass, it beckons kim soleum's attention, but he's too busy closing his eyes so tight to act as if he's not awake. he knows that voice, he knows, but he doesn't dare look his way. he won't, he can't. ]
[ so here comes this guy, who'd moved his hand to grab the handle anyway, but when he pulls it's kind of stuck? or, wait—he gives it a better tug, and the car itself shakes slightly as he lets it go. no way... you can't be serious? choi's warm and friendly smile (if he does say so himself) quickly becomes more of a grimace.
[ if it were that easy... can he not see soleum is sleeping, or just staring at nothing? it's why he can feel the car shake, his heart beat rapidly, and kim soleum turns onto his side as though to ignore his boss.
he's not even his boss, he resigned already, there's no need for him to even respond.
hasn't he done enough? he brought him back, there's a chance something is wrong, and maybe this is a type of haunting. he hasn't seen him in days, he's like a ghost who comes and goes, and after death... he stayed, they spoke, nothing else is needed.
hadn't he told him everything, well, in that amount of time probably not, but... ]
[ forgive him if his expression betrays his surprise a little bit. resting his forearm against the window and trying to peer past his reflection and to grapes now, he's visibly frowning. ]
You're really gonna make me stand outside in the cold like this?
[ yeesh, he doesn't remember his kid being so cold-hearted? ]
[ he ain't tell your ass to come out in the cold, actually. ]
...I'm not sure why you're here. Shouldn't you be resting?
[ when he does this, it's not out of hate, and it's not being cold-hearted, it's more like acceptance. with a pause, kim soleum pushes himself up with one arm, and one hand comes to his head running fingers through black locks. ]
[ don't say something annoying. don't say something annoying. don't say something annoying. don't say something annoying. he repeats it like a mantra in his mind, and then his lips quirk up at the corners, and— ]
There's body heat? Haha...
[ okay, okay, he meant that so normally though. like, as in, because soleum's in there with all kinds of blankets and such, his body is probably making it a bit warmer than the wind chill out here has choi.
but he doubts he's getting in now. his shoulders slump. ]
I came to find you, Grapes. If you want me to rest...
[ a few days away is all one needs to recharge, right? at the very least, it's long enough for agent choi to get back into a state where he can wander around, and he's... well, he's handling things one step at a time. being active feels better too. far be it from choi to be satisfied with sitting cooped up inside all day, and even now, he's decided to make himself useful with more scavenging. the new kids will probably need food, and he's sure caelus will need supplies too, with how busy he keeps himself.
but still, it's not so common to come across someone else when you're doing all this. the city is pretty big, and there are only so many people filling it, and it naturally comes as a surprise when agent choi's ears alert him to familiar footsteps in the same building that he's found himself in. when he turns to greet the visitor, the sound of them isn't the only thing he remembers.
so of course, without a hint of shyness, agent choi starts making his way over, clapping guren on the shoulder warmly. ]
Eyy, if it isn't the kid from before. I've been hoping I'd run into you—I owe you a thanks!
[ like, of course he knows his name, but he likes to avoid those where they're not necessary in this place. what matters here is that he remembers the face, and his own brightens up with the recognition. ]
( A supply run is exactly what Guren is up to. Scoping the local shops, seeing what sort of goods are still out there to be found, that metal stick of his still gripped firmly in one hand for his defense. But Choi hears him before he can even make himself known, even as quietly as he steps.
Guren notes that in the back of his mind, otherwise allowing that clap on the shoulder with no more than a slight wobble from the impact, as if he's being swayed by some big bother. Half of it is playful dramatics, but the other half is a spacey feeling he hasn't been able to shake for days, or maybe a week. Related, he thinks, to the subtle shadows of vines crawling along his shoulders and neck, obscured by his uniform. )
I'm not the one you should be thanking. ( Humble or just honest, it can be taken either way. Sure, he did some body movements, some necromancer fetching, but he didn't do any of the heavy lifting.
Not this time. Not for this revival. He's still thinking about it, though. And he sounds tired, distracted, or maybe both— a distant sort of wavering that has his eyes flicking back away from Choi and to the rest of the building, to avoid detection. )
You're already feeling good enough to be wandering around alone? You'd better not waste that life you got back.
[ that's one thing that's easy for him to agree with. ]
But I'm not much good at sitting still, you know? And besides, this body of mine patches up pretty quickly~
[ something that he relied perhaps a little too heavily on during the battle, but for now, all's well that ends well. it's guren who choi decides to give a quick once over instead, allowing him to step back. in contrast to his easy smile, his gaze sharp and searching, though there doesn't seem to be much physically amiss—at least, not visibly. instead, it's his demeanour that's tired, and isn't that understandable?
honestly, choi feels bad for putting a kid through the lengths guren's already gone to for him in the brief time since he arrived. the least he can do is keep an eye out for him in return. pulling his hand back so that he can pocket it, agent choi spares a short glance to their surroundings. ]
Anyway, you looking for anything in particular? It's the least I can do to show my appreciation!
[ helping him find it, that is, whether that's in this house, the next, or choi's very own. ]
( For the moment, Guren doesn't feel like pestering Choi too much about being out. After all, it's hard to sit still when you've just been brought back to life and the world is falling apart around you. He's just immensely relieved that he doesn't have to hide this one from him, that Dante doesn't have to hide it from him.
Guren.
Mahiru's voice has been ringing forward in the last couple of days more than usual. But it's not just that. As his eyes lift to scan across the building with Choi, he looks past cabinets and bookshelves to see her figure there, visible only to him, that same distant smile on her face.
He ignores her, not wanting Choi to spot any lingering of his eyes in one spot in particular. But he does reach to rub at his own wrist, beneath the sleeve of his uniform, restless. Despite his diligent attempts not to give his hallucinations away, it's incredibly clear he's not fully in this conversation, right now. )
[ the not so subtle distraction guren is going through doesn't go unnoticed by the agent. after all, the very first time they'd met, he made his sharp instincts and tenacity more than clear. even in the tunnels, he'd had a steadier presence to him compared to here, where it now feels scattered.
so it's with that in mind that agent choi chooses what he'd like to focus on first. ]
Let's start with a roof.
[ he can just give guren food, that's not a problem, but a lot of places around here are so filled with mold and fungi that it takes a good deal of effort to get them back into a state that's anywhere near livable. kind of feels like the most important of essentials to pick from, so why not lead with it?
oh, yeah, and he guesses it gives him the chance to pry a little too~ ]
You must've made some friends by now, yeah? Any names? You should stick to a place that's close to them if you can.
[ surely guren's figured out how it is by now, what with sundowning and all, right? ]
( He's right, Guren. Where are all of your friends now? You're normally so popular.
Mahiru's voice echoes around him like fog, and his expression tenses a bit in his agitation, words slipping free a little carelessly. )
Shut up.
( They work just as well for Choi, he figures. He can be weirdly aggressive or rude and have it be no different from usual. With a sigh, Guren lifts a hand and scrubs at his temple, shaking his head a little afterwards. )
No friends. ( Hence why he's doing so well, right? He takes a step forward and away from Choi, finding a dresser across the furthest wall to rummage through. Avoidant, distracted, and trying to ignore Mahiru who's hopping into a seat on the top of it next to him. He's sure not to point his eyes her way. )
Just give me a run down on who's where. Are there groups established? Anyone trying to take charge?
Ah? Well, it's fine. This kind of thing happens too.
[ when choi first arrived, it took him a minute to get his feet on the ground too. a single silver lighter was probably the only thing keeping him from falling apart at the seams, so there's hardly any room for him to judge. on the contrary, that only makes it even more important to set him up comfortably. the wheels in choi's mind slowly begin to turn. ]
Everyone's pretty scattered. There's a hotel by Little Italy that's pretty crowded, but in your case...
[ choi's gaze has followed guren as he's made his way through the room, and it's not long before his footsteps are carrying him along too—right to the spot that guren seems to be avoiding looking at. then, he'll lean forward, offering a smile. ]
I know a kid with a good head on his shoulders staying at some school dorms. Right around your age. And, hey—
[ he's got something else to say too. is guren listening? ]
even from the other room agent choi can hear it, the sound of someone politely making themselves known before they let themselves in. he supposes he shouldn't be surprised—he isn't, really, since he's done this before, and come across this very same individual doing exactly this during that time. it's nothing unusual, and nothing to get his hackles up over...
but maybe it's the hunger pangs, or his sore body—he can't quite bring himself to be too excited either.
still, even if he's not feeling his best, he'll do what he can to greet caelus properly, rounding the corner of the hall with a smile. ]
Hey, kiddo. It's been a while~
[ not that long in reality, but forgive him if that underground camping trip and its subsequent consequences made things feel a little longer than they really were. ]
It's the same for Caelus. A small initial surprise, but quickly calms. Maybe he should have expected this, actually. Since this happened before, after all. After that initial reaction, though, his eyes seem to water slightly, but he holds it back and blinks it away. He can't cry again. Since he wants to be the one to support others, he needs to hold back and stay strong.
Choi must've already had one hell of a time, so Caelus doesn't want him to feel burdened anymore. So the younger one successfully pulls himself together, then smiles brightly. He approaches quickly, actually having the desire to embrace the man, but he holds that back, too. Maybe Choi's body hurts, so he's trying to be considerate.
He looks up at him, eyes matching his bright expression. For now, he couldn't bear to say anything, still fighting the urge within himself to just move forward and hug him. He ends up plainly staring up with that fond look across his face. It's the same for him; it does feel like it's been so long now. Distant memories of them fooling around with Saheon, playing UNO or some dumb game. ]
he kind of expects a greeting in turn, warm and cheery like caelus usually is, but that's not what he gets. a brilliantly beaming smile and... not much else. it seems like caelus is holding back somehow, but... really, is this much necessary?
maybe if he lightens the mood... ]
What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?
[ because cat jokes are okay when he makes them.
though he does notice the slightly puffy redness around caelus' eyes, the glassiness, but there's no reason for something like crying, right? though he does know that caelus is regretfully aware of what happened—but as long as he's fine for now, he hardly sees reason to fuss. it's not so much ignorance that guides his actions as it is him shying away from the focus when he reaches up to ruffle caelus' hair. ]
Don't tell me you got sick. Shouldn't you be resting too?
[ The joke earns a visible pout, Caelus unable to stop himself from inflating his cheeks. Why is Choi suddenly making jokes about that, when the man got so upset about it before? But nevermind. Caelus easily lets it go, so he stops pouting seconds later. That must be Choi's attempt to make him feel better, so he'll appreciate it for that alone, and not think too hard about it.
Especially when his hair is suddenly being ruffled so playfully. Rather than respond vocally, he takes the chance to take the older man's extended arm, then gently embraces it as he lowers his head, cradling it within his two smaller arms so preciously… like something he's lost for a long time, and finally found it again. It's difficult to find the right words right now.
[ is it his fault if the puffed cheeks just make him want to smile even more? for a moment, it even looks like he's holding back a laugh at the combination of his own corny joke and caelus' pouty expression, but he dare not let it escape in a situation like this. that might be taken as actually mean when, in fact, it's quite the opposite.
because he does want to make caelus feel better, and really, he's no good at situations with this kind of gravity in the first place. it especially shows when all he really has to say for himself at caelus' heartfelt words is: ]
Okay...
[ he does let caelus hold his arm close though, doesn't move to pull away, even if he feels a bit awkward. ah, hm... he should probably say something more. ]
[ What a response. Man died, and that's all he has to say for himself. Caelus wonders how Choi reacted to Subaru and Saheon after showing his face to them, assuming they already saw him anyway. Or maybe this is normal…? Is this how some humans are?
"Okay," he says. … Wouldn't this be a cue for a "thank you" or "I'm sorry for worrying you?" Those are the kind of words that Caelus is more used to hearing from others back in his universe. But maybe… It's just too different elsewhere.
Is Caelus the strange one for being so sentimental all the time? He's a little embarrassed now. But that's all right. It doesn't matter. What matters to Caelus in the end is seeing Choi, alive and safe. Slowly, he pulls back and straightens himself. ]
Okay.
[ He'll copy that response, then. If being less sentimental is more normalized for people like Choi, then he'll want to adjust to it. ]
That's what's important isn't it? People die all the time, and the living move on. To the dead, the context and the situation of their death are unimportant. Their suffering is over. It's for those who remain to make sense of their deaths. If anyone is to blame, the living should decide that, not the dead.
What occurs when the natural order of things is upended, and the dead return to judge the living?
Nothing at all, apparently. Saheon has kept up all normal appearances. He visited neither Choi or Subaru, but he isn't a sentimental person, so who would expect that. If they pulled through that isn't any concern of his, but with all danger gone, he's not served by their deaths any longer. He got, in the end, exactly what he wanted. The best possible outcome.
So why is he still standing in the hallway of a three months shared apartment with an empty stare. ]
You came back.
[ He doesn't turn to look at the person who finally arrived. There's no tether, but he can smell who it is. ]
[ it had taken him a while to find his way back, not necessarily in direction, but possibly in desire.
a few days away has done wonders for his clarity of mind, if not the nightmares that followed his unfortunate demise, and as if to match the dark bags under his eyes, the smile he wears today is none too bright or cheerful. just enough to indicate that he's 'okay' enough to make it, and as if to emphasize that okay-ness: ]
You miss me?
[ the greeting is a little dry, but choi seems to think himself amusing, continuing from where he'd paused in the hall. there's still a slight limp to the leg that had been caught and compacted and inevitably led to his death, but that aside, he does look hale and whole as he brushes past saheon.
it's only once he's made his way to their door ahead of him that choi pauses. turns around to properly face saheon, and more importantly, place himself right in the line of saheon's vision. ]
Come on, don't tell me I don't even get a welcome back? After all the trouble those guys went to.
[ It's subtle, but Saheon flinches when Choi brushes his shoulder. An indecipherable revulsion flickers. Something unknown. Something that doesn't make sense, enough to stir a faint horror in even the dulled senses of one of those scumbag company cultists.
A long time ago someone Saheon loved very much came back wrong. It was easy to tell with her, what had been lost. Looking up to face Choi, he's struck by how it's not different at all. Like the agent returned from a hospital visit, not the grave. ]
Welcome home.
[ A long time ago, Saheon thinks he said something very similar. It doesn't matter. ]
[ nothing he wants to remember, but certainly something, even after the world had gone dark. ]
But what are you standing out here for? C'mon, if you've got anything to catch me up on, we'll do it inside.
[ turning the handle, he'll push the door open, leaving it that way even as he steps inside to slip out of his shoes and shrug off his jacket. he's quick to make his way further in, taking a direct beeline to the kitchen and beginning to rummage through the cupboards to see what's stocked. he'll lift his voice if he needs to, to reach saheon. ]
Ah~~ I've been so hungry. You didn't eat all our food while I was gone, did you?
[ For a time, anyway. There isn't a lot of venom in Saheon's voice. There isn't much of anything at all. This whole conversation reads like a script he can't make out the words in. A pointless game of call and response.
He lingers in the hallway, taking a second to lean down and straighten out the agents shoes where they've been left until they're aligned evenly. Only then does he follow Choi into the kitchen, leaning against the wall to stare at the agent again and again, with an inscrutable expression. ]
I don't have anything to say. [ To catch Choi up on... to admit. To apologize for. There's nothing to say, is there? He can't admit it, but it must look bad from the agent's prospective. Saheon can't think of a good lie and he can't tell the truth. ]
I guess I got away because of you, so I'll make dinner, if you want.
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@roedeer
no different from faces, or veins, or the shape of one's wrist, the scent associated with a person is just as unique. the scent that he's following today, having started near one of the subway station entrances, is one that vaguely reminds him of coffee, lingering behind from a certain individual's footsteps.
now that a few days have passed, he's decided to spend his time like this. his body has largely healed, and aside from being a bit sore and tender in places, he's more or less able to move around well. enough so that he can traverse the city with some effort, at least, and so that's what he does, following this rich scent as it slowly grows stronger. he pauses here—somewhere the scent has layered over and over again, many times, and opens his mouth just slightly, allowing the air to brush against the roof of it. his tail curls at the tip, and he makes his decision after just a moment.
because it tastes fresh.
from there, it doesn't take long. peering into buildings, vehicles, and even winding through alleyways—but it's the latter that finds him what he's searching for: a disheveled looking man sitting cramped in the backseat of a car, looking anywhere but choi.
choi taps his knuckles against the glass of the window, knocking with a broad smile. ]
Hey, can I come in?
didnt like him fleshman
soleum can't sleep, he can't cry either. he doesn't have anyone to talk to, he doesn't have anyone to make him laugh or say he's done his best. he doesn't have his good friend, good ol' braun who will tell soleum what his options were and then calling him a friend in the same breath. what did he do wrong, how did he do everything wrong. even though agent choi is back to normal, he's alive, soleum wonders if he's done wrong there too.
what if he should have let him die, what if he could have been freed from this. that was their only chance, and soleum made a rash decision that could have ruined everything, but he couldn't do it. he couldn't accept that death. dying by something of this disaster is different from dying by their own means, what if he died here and didn't go home? why is soleum still thinking about this? he's ruined so much, and yet he can't get it out his mind. even with the other person who almost died, his circumstances are more precarious as he's assimilated with this place, he'd probably have vanished entirely.
isn't it a good thing they had a doctor?
if this place is closely or loosely related to sekwang special city...
tap, knock, knock.
knuckles rap against the glass, it beckons kim soleum's attention, but he's too busy closing his eyes so tight to act as if he's not awake. he knows that voice, he knows, but he doesn't dare look his way. he won't, he can't. ]
No.
OH OK... 😭️
[ so here comes this guy, who'd moved his hand to grab the handle anyway, but when he pulls it's kind of stuck? or, wait—he gives it a better tug, and the car itself shakes slightly as he lets it go. no way... you can't be serious? choi's warm and friendly smile (if he does say so himself) quickly becomes more of a grimace.
then he knocks on the window again. tap, tap. ]
...Grapes? Your door's locked, you know.
[ ... ]
C'mon, I have something important to tell you.
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[ if it were that easy... can he not see soleum is sleeping, or just staring at nothing? it's why he can feel the car shake, his heart beat rapidly, and kim soleum turns onto his side as though to ignore his boss.
he's not even his boss, he resigned already, there's no need for him to even respond.
hasn't he done enough? he brought him back, there's a chance something is wrong, and maybe this is a type of haunting. he hasn't seen him in days, he's like a ghost who comes and goes, and after death... he stayed, they spoke, nothing else is needed.
hadn't he told him everything, well, in that amount of time probably not, but... ]
What?
[ the door is not unlocking. ]
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[ forgive him if his expression betrays his surprise a little bit. resting his forearm against the window and trying to peer past his reflection and to grapes now, he's visibly frowning. ]
You're really gonna make me stand outside in the cold like this?
[ yeesh, he doesn't remember his kid being so cold-hearted? ]
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...I'm not sure why you're here. Shouldn't you be resting?
[ when he does this, it's not out of hate, and it's not being cold-hearted, it's more like acceptance. with a pause, kim soleum pushes himself up with one arm, and one hand comes to his head running fingers through black locks. ]
There's no heat in here, either.
[ makes no difference. ]
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There's body heat? Haha...
[ okay, okay, he meant that so normally though. like, as in, because soleum's in there with all kinds of blankets and such, his body is probably making it a bit warmer than the wind chill out here has choi.
but he doubts he's getting in now. his shoulders slump. ]
I came to find you, Grapes. If you want me to rest...
[ let him in. ]
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@demoon
but still, it's not so common to come across someone else when you're doing all this. the city is pretty big, and there are only so many people filling it, and it naturally comes as a surprise when agent choi's ears alert him to familiar footsteps in the same building that he's found himself in. when he turns to greet the visitor, the sound of them isn't the only thing he remembers.
so of course, without a hint of shyness, agent choi starts making his way over, clapping guren on the shoulder warmly. ]
Eyy, if it isn't the kid from before. I've been hoping I'd run into you—I owe you a thanks!
[ like, of course he knows his name, but he likes to avoid those where they're not necessary in this place. what matters here is that he remembers the face, and his own brightens up with the recognition. ]
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Guren notes that in the back of his mind, otherwise allowing that clap on the shoulder with no more than a slight wobble from the impact, as if he's being swayed by some big bother. Half of it is playful dramatics, but the other half is a spacey feeling he hasn't been able to shake for days, or maybe a week. Related, he thinks, to the subtle shadows of vines crawling along his shoulders and neck, obscured by his uniform. )
I'm not the one you should be thanking. ( Humble or just honest, it can be taken either way. Sure, he did some body movements, some necromancer fetching, but he didn't do any of the heavy lifting.
Not this time. Not for this revival. He's still thinking about it, though. And he sounds tired, distracted, or maybe both— a distant sort of wavering that has his eyes flicking back away from Choi and to the rest of the building, to avoid detection. )
You're already feeling good enough to be wandering around alone? You'd better not waste that life you got back.
( Getting scolded by a child... )
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[ that's one thing that's easy for him to agree with. ]
But I'm not much good at sitting still, you know? And besides, this body of mine patches up pretty quickly~
[ something that he relied perhaps a little too heavily on during the battle, but for now, all's well that ends well. it's guren who choi decides to give a quick once over instead, allowing him to step back. in contrast to his easy smile, his gaze sharp and searching, though there doesn't seem to be much physically amiss—at least, not visibly. instead, it's his demeanour that's tired, and isn't that understandable?
honestly, choi feels bad for putting a kid through the lengths guren's already gone to for him in the brief time since he arrived. the least he can do is keep an eye out for him in return. pulling his hand back so that he can pocket it, agent choi spares a short glance to their surroundings. ]
Anyway, you looking for anything in particular? It's the least I can do to show my appreciation!
[ helping him find it, that is, whether that's in this house, the next, or choi's very own. ]
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( For the moment, Guren doesn't feel like pestering Choi too much about being out. After all, it's hard to sit still when you've just been brought back to life and the world is falling apart around you. He's just immensely relieved that he doesn't have to hide this one from him, that Dante doesn't have to hide it from him.
Guren.
Mahiru's voice has been ringing forward in the last couple of days more than usual. But it's not just that. As his eyes lift to scan across the building with Choi, he looks past cabinets and bookshelves to see her figure there, visible only to him, that same distant smile on her face.
He ignores her, not wanting Choi to spot any lingering of his eyes in one spot in particular. But he does reach to rub at his own wrist, beneath the sleeve of his uniform, restless. Despite his diligent attempts not to give his hallucinations away, it's incredibly clear he's not fully in this conversation, right now. )
Food and a roof would be a good start.
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so it's with that in mind that agent choi chooses what he'd like to focus on first. ]
Let's start with a roof.
[ he can just give guren food, that's not a problem, but a lot of places around here are so filled with mold and fungi that it takes a good deal of effort to get them back into a state that's anywhere near livable. kind of feels like the most important of essentials to pick from, so why not lead with it?
oh, yeah, and he guesses it gives him the chance to pry a little too~ ]
You must've made some friends by now, yeah? Any names? You should stick to a place that's close to them if you can.
[ surely guren's figured out how it is by now, what with sundowning and all, right? ]
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Mahiru's voice echoes around him like fog, and his expression tenses a bit in his agitation, words slipping free a little carelessly. )
Shut up.
( They work just as well for Choi, he figures. He can be weirdly aggressive or rude and have it be no different from usual. With a sigh, Guren lifts a hand and scrubs at his temple, shaking his head a little afterwards. )
No friends. ( Hence why he's doing so well, right? He takes a step forward and away from Choi, finding a dresser across the furthest wall to rummage through. Avoidant, distracted, and trying to ignore Mahiru who's hopping into a seat on the top of it next to him. He's sure not to point his eyes her way. )
Just give me a run down on who's where. Are there groups established? Anyone trying to take charge?
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[ when choi first arrived, it took him a minute to get his feet on the ground too. a single silver lighter was probably the only thing keeping him from falling apart at the seams, so there's hardly any room for him to judge. on the contrary, that only makes it even more important to set him up comfortably. the wheels in choi's mind slowly begin to turn. ]
Everyone's pretty scattered. There's a hotel by Little Italy that's pretty crowded, but in your case...
[ choi's gaze has followed guren as he's made his way through the room, and it's not long before his footsteps are carrying him along too—right to the spot that guren seems to be avoiding looking at. then, he'll lean forward, offering a smile. ]
I know a kid with a good head on his shoulders staying at some school dorms. Right around your age. And, hey—
[ he's got something else to say too. is guren listening? ]
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@trashblaze
even from the other room agent choi can hear it, the sound of someone politely making themselves known before they let themselves in. he supposes he shouldn't be surprised—he isn't, really, since he's done this before, and come across this very same individual doing exactly this during that time. it's nothing unusual, and nothing to get his hackles up over...
but maybe it's the hunger pangs, or his sore body—he can't quite bring himself to be too excited either.
still, even if he's not feeling his best, he'll do what he can to greet caelus properly, rounding the corner of the hall with a smile. ]
Hey, kiddo. It's been a while~
[ not that long in reality, but forgive him if that underground camping trip and its subsequent consequences made things feel a little longer than they really were. ]
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It's the same for Caelus. A small initial surprise, but quickly calms. Maybe he should have expected this, actually. Since this happened before, after all. After that initial reaction, though, his eyes seem to water slightly, but he holds it back and blinks it away. He can't cry again. Since he wants to be the one to support others, he needs to hold back and stay strong.
Choi must've already had one hell of a time, so Caelus doesn't want him to feel burdened anymore. So the younger one successfully pulls himself together, then smiles brightly. He approaches quickly, actually having the desire to embrace the man, but he holds that back, too. Maybe Choi's body hurts, so he's trying to be considerate.
He looks up at him, eyes matching his bright expression. For now, he couldn't bear to say anything, still fighting the urge within himself to just move forward and hug him. He ends up plainly staring up with that fond look across his face. It's the same for him; it does feel like it's been so long now. Distant memories of them fooling around with Saheon, playing UNO or some dumb game. ]
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he kind of expects a greeting in turn, warm and cheery like caelus usually is, but that's not what he gets. a brilliantly beaming smile and... not much else. it seems like caelus is holding back somehow, but... really, is this much necessary?
maybe if he lightens the mood... ]
What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?
[ because cat jokes are okay when he makes them.
though he does notice the slightly puffy redness around caelus' eyes, the glassiness, but there's no reason for something like crying, right? though he does know that caelus is regretfully aware of what happened—but as long as he's fine for now, he hardly sees reason to fuss. it's not so much ignorance that guides his actions as it is him shying away from the focus when he reaches up to ruffle caelus' hair. ]
Don't tell me you got sick. Shouldn't you be resting too?
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Especially when his hair is suddenly being ruffled so playfully. Rather than respond vocally, he takes the chance to take the older man's extended arm, then gently embraces it as he lowers his head, cradling it within his two smaller arms so preciously… like something he's lost for a long time, and finally found it again. It's difficult to find the right words right now.
He stays like that a while, until— ]
… I'm glad… to see you again.
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because he does want to make caelus feel better, and really, he's no good at situations with this kind of gravity in the first place. it especially shows when all he really has to say for himself at caelus' heartfelt words is: ]
Okay...
[ he does let caelus hold his arm close though, doesn't move to pull away, even if he feels a bit awkward. ah, hm... he should probably say something more. ]
Hey, it's alright. I'm fine, see?
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"Okay," he says. … Wouldn't this be a cue for a "thank you" or "I'm sorry for worrying you?" Those are the kind of words that Caelus is more used to hearing from others back in his universe. But maybe… It's just too different elsewhere.
Is Caelus the strange one for being so sentimental all the time? He's a little embarrassed now. But that's all right. It doesn't matter. What matters to Caelus in the end is seeing Choi, alive and safe. Slowly, he pulls back and straightens himself. ]
Okay.
[ He'll copy that response, then. If being less sentimental is more normalized for people like Choi, then he'll want to adjust to it. ]
Are you hiding out here again?
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apogalize
That's what's important isn't it? People die all the time, and the living move on. To the dead, the context and the situation of their death are unimportant. Their suffering is over. It's for those who remain to make sense of their deaths. If anyone is to blame, the living should decide that, not the dead.
What occurs when the natural order of things is upended, and the dead return to judge the living?
Nothing at all, apparently. Saheon has kept up all normal appearances. He visited neither Choi or Subaru, but he isn't a sentimental person, so who would expect that. If they pulled through that isn't any concern of his, but with all danger gone, he's not served by their deaths any longer. He got, in the end, exactly what he wanted. The best possible outcome.
So why is he still standing in the hallway of a three months shared apartment with an empty stare. ]
You came back.
[ He doesn't turn to look at the person who finally arrived. There's no tether, but he can smell who it is. ]
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a few days away has done wonders for his clarity of mind, if not the nightmares that followed his unfortunate demise, and as if to match the dark bags under his eyes, the smile he wears today is none too bright or cheerful. just enough to indicate that he's 'okay' enough to make it, and as if to emphasize that okay-ness: ]
You miss me?
[ the greeting is a little dry, but choi seems to think himself amusing, continuing from where he'd paused in the hall. there's still a slight limp to the leg that had been caught and compacted and inevitably led to his death, but that aside, he does look hale and whole as he brushes past saheon.
it's only once he's made his way to their door ahead of him that choi pauses. turns around to properly face saheon, and more importantly, place himself right in the line of saheon's vision. ]
Come on, don't tell me I don't even get a welcome back? After all the trouble those guys went to.
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[ It's subtle, but Saheon flinches when Choi brushes his shoulder. An indecipherable revulsion flickers. Something unknown. Something that doesn't make sense, enough to stir a faint horror in even the dulled senses of one of those scumbag company cultists.
A long time ago someone Saheon loved very much came back wrong. It was easy to tell with her, what had been lost. Looking up to face Choi, he's struck by how it's not different at all. Like the agent returned from a hospital visit, not the grave. ]
Welcome home.
[ A long time ago, Saheon thinks he said something very similar. It doesn't matter. ]
Do you remember everything that happened before?
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[ nothing he wants to remember, but certainly something, even after the world had gone dark. ]
But what are you standing out here for? C'mon, if you've got anything to catch me up on, we'll do it inside.
[ turning the handle, he'll push the door open, leaving it that way even as he steps inside to slip out of his shoes and shrug off his jacket. he's quick to make his way further in, taking a direct beeline to the kitchen and beginning to rummage through the cupboards to see what's stocked. he'll lift his voice if he needs to, to reach saheon. ]
Ah~~ I've been so hungry. You didn't eat all our food while I was gone, did you?
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[ For a time, anyway. There isn't a lot of venom in Saheon's voice. There isn't much of anything at all. This whole conversation reads like a script he can't make out the words in. A pointless game of call and response.
He lingers in the hallway, taking a second to lean down and straighten out the agents shoes where they've been left until they're aligned evenly. Only then does he follow Choi into the kitchen, leaning against the wall to stare at the agent again and again, with an inscrutable expression. ]
I don't have anything to say. [ To catch Choi up on... to admit. To apologize for. There's nothing to say, is there? He can't admit it, but it must look bad from the agent's prospective. Saheon can't think of a good lie and he can't tell the truth. ]
I guess I got away because of you, so I'll make dinner, if you want.